Strings of Fate
by YaoiSongstress07
Summary: FINALE HAS ARRIVED. THANK YOU EVERYONE!
1. Breakthrough of Renaissance

Hello! *waves* To all of those that stop by, thank you so much! This is my very first story here in fanfiction-I hope all of you like it as I much as I do, for I am very proud of it. *smiles* NOTE: This isn't a yaoi story- it's a friendship fic! Zero and X are just very close friends, and Axl is pretty close to them too! If any of you have seen Lord of the Rings, just think of the friendship Sam and Frodo have, or the friendship between Legolas and Gimli... DISCLAIMER: None of these characters, with the exception of the Maverick Hunter helpers, are mine. If they were mine, I'd be the happiest teenager in the world. and no one should sue me anyway cuz I kinda have no money...... Dedicated to Gamergirl and her masterpiece, 'As Each Minute Passes'. May the idea of eternal friendship live on.  
  
"Axl, listen to me, my friend! Listen to reason!" "Things have gotten out of hand, Red. I've got to go off on my own! You're holding me down!" "But you belong here, with us! Our fate is in your hands, my friend! We're only doing what we believe is right!" "Sorry-my beliefs don't match yours. I've got my own agenda now-it's time for me to bust out of here. Take care of yourself, Red." "Axl! Wait, come back!"  
  
A young Reploid sped throughout his former homebase like a lightning bolt of the shadows, shadows from a past that had plagued him horrendously. His eyes gleamed with the chance of new freedom as his feet carried him towards an exit, and his ears were pierced by the sounds of numerous, maddening alarms. His heartbeat was steady but rapid and furious, like the soul of a wild and free horse.  
  
Images of betrayal flashed in his mind, confirming his fears...telling him that everything he had believed in was no more than an illusion, a mere mirage he had failed to see through. Flashes of red light blurred his vision a little, but failed to slow him down. A violent explosion of white and yellow light barely erupted abruptly after a few minutes, barely missing him by an inch. The young Reploid ducked behind a wall and wiped off the sweat from his brow.  
  
"Man. Looks like I've really pissed them off."  
  
Right after that thought left his lips in a swift, excited manner, he took off again through the Red Alarm Syndicate base, successfully dodging the turbulent explosions and the ones that had tried to slow him down....the former comrades he had worked so hard for..... Bam!  
  
"Oh crap!"  
  
His eyes became glued to the obstacle in front of him-he was locked in a room filled with the fiery red flames of sirens. Panic seized control over him for a second, but then the ability to think came right back. With a stunning amount of agility he fired a ball of energy at the security locks that were latched onto the door in front of him, causing them to explode and the door to open. He didn't waste a second in leaving.  
  
"Geez, someone please tell me when I'm done with the worst part!"  
  
He was pretty confident in himself-he knew he could make it out but the obstacles were heavily dangerous. One slip could put him in the very center of attention. He couldn't allow himself to be sucked into the clutches of the ones he was trying to escape, he just couldn't. His topaz blue eyes shimmered with the crimson fire of unbreakable determination as he continued to break through every hurdle his ex-pals presented to him, his whole body throbbing with the pain of deception and the happiness of newborn freedom. Five minutes passed. The young Reploid's heart sank deeply as soon as a very loud 'thud' reached his ears, and he became temporarily paralyzed by shock. His eyes widened in tension as he felt the heat of the red sirens break down on him mercilessly, and his mouth became painfully dry. Slowly he turned to look behind him.....and found out that he had a new friend....  
  
"Oh no."  
  
With a loud, heavy roar, a gigantic Mega Scorpio unleashed its rage on its surroundings, threatening to smash the young one under its massive feet. Adrenaline rushed through the young Reploid's body, sending him off like a rocket. Without looking back, he made his way through the base like a wildfire, flying though it like a mouse trying to escape death at the clutches of a lion as adrenaline pounded in his veins, feeling like cold fire. If that Scorpio caught him, there'd be no way to escape from it. Well, there was one option he could use.....but that one particular option didn't tickle his fancy at all.  
  
Five minutes passed as if they were five seconds. The young Reploid threw himself out of the exit and landed face-down on the ground, breathing heavily with exhilaration. His eyes gleamed with fire as his mind reeled over what he had just done, and he looked back at the base that was no longer his home. The Scorpio had given up on him the second he flung himself out of the base, so there was no need to worry about that wretch any longer. But the others would soon be hot on his tail, furious about his decision to "defect". His eyes burned into the place he had once called home as warm sunlight from the heavens burned down on him, and a blazing streak of fury spread across his face. "See ya later, Red." the young Reploid whispered softly, then rose to his feet and turned away. 


	2. Prelude: Beginning of Awakening

It's becoming stronger......my whole body is becoming colder and colder...I can barely even breathe.....  
  
Inside of his dormitory, the Maverick Hunter known as Zero was curled up on his bed, immersed in the mists of bitter, soul-breaking darkness and pain. His arms were wrapped around his body tightly, as if he was about to break down, and he was trembling violently. His eyes were closed firmly, and dewdrops of immeasurable sorrow were streaming from them like the crystal waterfalls of a dark night...his heart was experiencing a brutal type of pain....pain that should not be known to anyone....  
  
Into his hand he coughed up red, hot blood. He opened his eyes to look at what he had done, but it was too hard to keep them open for even a second. The pain flooding through his body was beyond excruciating-it was horrendous. The darkness of his room matched his sadness perfectly-there were no lights anywhere....  
  
Why....why can't it stop?  
  
Visions of death assaulted his mind mercilessly like gunfire. Visions of bloodshed....bloodshed he was creating with his own two hands....  
  
"Zero!!!"  
  
His heart's star was a part of those visions-actually, he was the main part of those visions. And that star was none other than X. He saw it...he saw his saber cut right through the Hunter's body....and his eyes could practically feel the blood spill onto the already red floor.....  
  
"X....I don't......I don't want to hurt you....damn it......why can't I make this stop....why...."  
  
Waterfalls spilled from his eyes and onto the black floor as he doubled up in pain, sobbing softly.  
  
--"All right X! Keep it up, you're doing great!" The Maverick Hunter base was even better than a luxury hotel-it had everything you could ever want, and more. It kept the Hunters extremely satisfied-if they needed anything, anything at all, all they had to do was go and get it. There was nothing they couldn't find in their homebase, and there was nothing they couldn't do in it either. It had what seemed like a hundred training rooms for soldiers that wanted to tighten up their skills.  
  
"That's my boy! Keep up the good work!"  
  
Dr.Cain, Mega Man X's caretaker (X affectionately thought of him as a second father), was surveying X's training session through a window. A warm smile was on the old man's face as he watched his son dash all over the room with a huge, sparkling smile on his own face, successfully completing many tasks with his new and improved X-Buster. Bright golden light was shining into the room, looking very much like beautiful sunlight from the heavens and perfectly equaling the warmth of X's smile. The young Hunter came to a pause for a second, his eyes shimmering with the vibrancy of a puppy's heart.  
  
"You really think I'm doing okay?"  
  
He was adorable. "Of course I do! You're incredible!" Cain replied, cupping his hands over his mouth. The light of his smile increased as X waved back at him, laughing like a small child that had just gained approval from a parent.  
  
"Someday I'll be as cool as Zero!"  
  
"Yeah! I'll bet my life on that!"  
  
X resumed his training with a stronger amount of determination-those words gave him a wondrous amount of confidence and power. Images of his beloved idol flashed through his mind as he went on with his training, smiling like a newborn wolf cub that had just found sunlight. Cain folded his arms, chuckled to himself warmly and turned to Douglas, who had just walked in. "Isn't he cute?" the professor asked his friend jovially, sounding like a mother that had just adopted the cutest puppy.  
  
Douglas put his eyes on X, his heart singing with elation. "Yeah, he sure is. He practically worships the ground Zero walks on-oh, and let's not forget the air he breathes in too!"  
  
Both of them laughed at that for a moment-those words were true. Silly, but true and very profound. Cain's eyes darkened a bit after the laughter faded away, though, and he rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. Douglas narrowed his eyes at him in confusion.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"I haven't seen Zero around today. Where d'ya think he could be?"  
  
Douglas dismissed Cain's concern with a wave of a hand. "Aw, he's got to be around here somewhere. I'm sure X has seen him. You know Zero-he's the dark and mysterious type."  
  
That didn't help at all. "Yeah, you're right....but I've got a pretty bad feeling....something's up." Cain's eyes went back out to X, who was happily running and jumping all over the grounds like a baby deer. Douglas looked at him worriedly, realization striking him like a bolt of thunder. He knew what the doctor was thinking of.  
  
"The....virus..."  
  
"Yeah. I wonder if he's all right."  
  
"He'll be okay." Douglas assured him, smiling warmly at the thought of his friend. "Everything will be all right, I know it."  
  
--"Attention, attention! Hunters, X, Zero and Douglas-report to the front! We've got a visitor!"--  
  
A small red light went off through the base, serving as an alarm. Douglas and Cain exchanged glances with each other, and then X looked at them with wide, fearful eyes. "Sounds like we've got trouble!" Cain said to them both, waving a hand. "Let's get a move on!"  
  
--"He's identifying himself as Axl, a former member of the Red Alarm Syndicate. He looks friendly enough-should we let him in?"  
  
Signas, the General of the Maverick Hunters, saluted his friend Alia, who was sitting in her favorite spinning chair at her station. "If you trust him, then I trust him. You don't make any bad calls, Alia-tell our pals to let him in."  
  
The Navigator and Spotter of the Maverick Hunters gave her friend a warm smile and granted the sentinels at the entrance permission to let their new visitor in. She only had to wait a few seconds for the two mechanical sliding doors to open and reveal their guest. It was a young Reploid, one with shiny black armor and topaz blue eyes. He was breathing deeply, as if he had run all over the world twice in a day, and he just looked flat out exhausted.  
  
His appearance instantly attracted the sympathy of Alia, Signas and other Hunters that were just passing by, doing their job. The general of the Maverick Hunters rushed over to him as Alia kept her eyes on him, alarmed and anxious. "What's wrong?" was the first question out of the general's mouth. He helped the young one stay on his feet by lifting him up. The young Reploid's eyes stared into his for a second, and he looked as if he wanted to explain something, but then two other figures caught his attention, and he darted away from Signas abruptly.  
  
"I can't believe this!!! Man, this is incredible!!! I've found you guys!!"  
  
The stranger grabbed X by the arm and began to jump up and down, startling the Hunter a little.  
  
"I can't believe it!!! It's you it's you it's you-"  
  
"Heeeey!!!" X whined, sounding like an adorable little kitten. "I'm 'me', already!! Get off get off get off-"  
  
"What's going on here?!" Signas asked their new visitor, grabbing him by his arm. Obviously, he was a bit miffed by their new friend's decision to dart away from him unexpectedly. "Who are you?!"  
  
Alia rose from her chair, her beautiful sapphire blue eyes radiating tension as she listened in on the conversation. Douglas met her and stood by her side, listening in on the discussion at her side. The young Reploid scanned the faces of those around him for a moment, strengthening the suspense in the still air, then lowered his head-  
  
"We're waiting."  
  
X gasped and lit up like a Christmas tree-those words were from none other than-  
  
"Zero!"  
  
The blue Maverick Hunter leapt on his hero and embraced him as if he hadn't seen him in years. That was the way he always greeted his idol-it was always the same thing. Like a puppy madly attached to its mother, X hung all over Zero, smiling with an infinite amount of happiness.  
  
"Zero Zero Zero Zero Zero-"  
  
"Okay, okay! Not now!" the Hunter of the Crimson Fire shooed him away affectionately, the way any loving mother would get rid of an annoying, energetic baby. X got off of him, frowning childishly with reluctance, then put a smile back on and focused on the problem at hand. The newcomer stared at him in warm surprise, feeling jealousy prick him gently. "Th' name's Axl." he began, chuckling at the happy Blue Bomber. "I'm a member of the Red Alarm Syndicate-well, I used to be, anyway."  
  
"The Red Alarm Syndicate?" 


	3. The Start of the Lowdown, the Birth of D...

Hello everyone, and welcome to Chapter 3! Heehee, sorry for the mistake-it is Red Alert, not Red Alarm Syndicate! Thank you for the help, and all other reviews are welcome. I hope that you'll stay with me on this journey to the very end. As for the stars of the show....Mega Man X's personality has been changed a bit-he's puppy-like instead of the gloomy soldier he is in most of the games. Later on he'll become his normal self, though-I just thought it was cute to have him act like a cute little puppy dog. Zero isn't your typical Zero-right now, because of the virus eating away at his body, he's a sweet and shy guy...but his power is still within his heart. Axl isn't the little kid he is on MMX7-I guess one could say that he's in Zero's spotlight at the moment, since he's headstrong, bold and fearless. Once again, thank you so much for stopping by, and all reviews are welcome, whether good or bad.  
  
"Yeah, the Red Alert Syndicate." Axl said sadly, frowning. He turned to Signas, putting his arms behind his back shyly. "I left because things were gettin' out of hand. Red was startin' some pretty bad stuff back there, so I had to jet. Now I'm a 'traitor'."  
  
"Won't they be after you, Axl?" Douglas asked him worriedly.  
  
Alia's eyes lit up with distress and sympathy. "And what about this Red?" she inquired. "What's he doing? Did he do anything to you?"  
  
Axl felt safe and secure-all of them were concerned about his safety. They were very friendly-no need to worry about anything at all. "I pissed them off pretty badly. I'm sure they're trying to get at me right now, and they're not gonna stop until they do. They're probably hunting for me even as we speak. They're not gonna waste any time in tryin' to get me back-I was pretty important."  
  
"So they're going to end up here?" Signas asked, ready for anything. Feeling a little awkward, Axl kept his eyes on the ground and hands behind his back. "Yeah..." he murmured, pretty embarrassed about the whole situation he was in. Before everything was cool, but now that he had to explain himself, things were a little off-he felt ashamed of himself because of his intentions.  
  
"They're gonna do whatever they have to do to get me back. They need me."  
  
The level of tension increased intensely and silently. Alia exchanged glances with Signas, Signas looked at Douglas, Douglas looked at Alia, and X-  
  
"Zeroooooo! Zero Zero Zero Zero-"  
  
"X, quit it. I said not now."  
  
General Signas laughed at the happy little puppy jumping all over Zero. "Hahahaha! Apparently X seems to be all right with all of this!" He folded his arms and nodded. "I am too. This Red Syndicate you speak of sounds like a lot of trouble. We'd better be prepared for anything that comes our way." Axl was astonished-were they actually willing to let him stay? He couldn't believe what he was seeing or hearing. "Ummm." he said softly, still staring at the ground. "What about me? I came here to fight with you guys- are you actually gonna let me stay here?"  
  
X looked at him as if he had gone insane. "Yeah! Of course we are! You've got nothing to worry about, Axl!"  
  
"X is right. We can't just throw you out of here if you're in trouble!" Alia rang in with a smile, her eyes bright like stars. "That wouldn't make any sense! We couldn't call ourselves true Maverick Hunters if we did. We're supposed to protect those in need!" She gave an exuberant thumbs-up to Douglas, and Douglas winked at Axl amiably.  
  
"Just stick with us. We'll straighten things out."  
  
"Are....you....absolutely...serious...?"  
  
Zero narrowed his eyes at Axl strangely, wondering why the young Axl was speaking in such a slow tone. X frowned at Axl in confusion, trying to figure out the same thing. "Yeah!" the little puppy cheered vibrantly.  
  
"Then....I've got something to ask...."  
  
"Well, shoot. We don't have all day, you know."  
  
That voice belonged to Dr.Cain-he had just entered the room a minute ago and overheard Axl. Receiving a smile from Signas, he folded his arms and joined the conversation. "Not everyone is as young as you, Axl."  
  
"...."  
  
It was like waiting for a volcano to erupt.  
  
".....can.....I....be.....a....Hunter?"  
  
"What-"X shrank back in surprise, but before he could say anything else, Axl was on him, tugging on his arm desperately. The little Blue Bomber's eyes were wide, shimmering jewels of blue starmist as Axl begged and pleaded with him over and over-  
  
"Please please please please please please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let me be a Maverick Hunter!!!!!!!!!! I've heard so many stories about you and Zero and you guys SOUND SO TOTALLY COOL!!!!!!!! PLEAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!'  
  
"Hey! Why are you asking me?!"  
  
"Please please please please-"  
  
"Hold on there, Axl!" Signas held out a hand for silence, laughing warmly at the newcomer with twinkling eyes. "Not just anyone can be a Hunter. You know that, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah, I KNOW BUT I REALLY WANNA BE ONE!!!! I'LL MAKE A REALLY GOOD ONE, I SWEAR!"  
  
Zero smiled at the frantic newcomer-he was worse than X. "Geez, you're just as bad as my friend." he told the newcomer warmly. "Calm down. We can't make you a Hunter right off the bat-we just don't make any regular joe that walks in a Hunter right off the bat. But we'll take you under our wing, okay?"  
  
"Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"Okay! Get off of me!"  
  
"When do we start, huh?! I've got to get my Hunter skills so I can KICK RED ALERT BUTT!!"  
  
Great, Zero thought. Now I get to look after two puppies instead of one.  
  
A warm current of sunlight soared over his heart and dropped into his soul, feeling just like the light of a new day. Alia laid her hand down on Axl's shoulder to get him to shut up, pretending to be tired of his enthusiasm.  
  
"Hey. Can you bring it down a bit and give us some info your old friends? We would really appreciate it."  
  
"Yeah." Axl got off of Zero and became serious again. "I can do that. No prob."  
  
"No prob..." Cain muttered under his breath, his eyes twinkling like the jewels of a newborn heaven. He gently nudged his dear friend Signas.  
  
"Looks like we've got another kid on our hands."  
  
"You've got that right." The general of the Maverick Hunters said, smiling. 


	4. Sunlight of Eternity's Promise

Hi again everyone and welcome to chapter four of 'Strings of Fate'! Thank you so much for sticking with me all the way. Hope you like! I have approximately two hundred and fifty pages of this typed already-but I just got the Microsoft Word program a couple of days ago.....I DIDN'T BLAME THIS WEBSITE FOR NOT LIKING WORDPERFECT...AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT KNOW WHAT WORDPERFECT IS, DON'T LAUGH AT ME.........  
  
"Okay," Axl took a deep breath before he began-it was as if he was a kid getting ready to recite a report on a president. "Here's the lowdown. I was a part of this group called the Red Syndicate, see, and Red was the leader. We protected the rights of all Reploids....we fought for the good stuff, see. Well, we did...until Red met this guy named Sigma."  
  
That name struck a dark blade of fire into Zero's heart. He gasped and lowered his head shamefully, balling his hands into fists-  
  
"Sigma got together with Red and told him a bunch of smack, like how he could have a lot of power by destroying this and doin' that......it was all really weird...I mean, I've known Red all of my life-he found me and protected me when I was a little guy, y'know. He taught me a lot about everything....Red and I were really close. We used to be. Now, I guess, we're enemies. He tried to make me stay....but I couldn't see. I didn't want to stay with him anymore-he only cares about ruling the world and stuff like that. I decided to split from the base and come here. I bet he's really pissed off right now, since I was a really important member of the club, but....now, I don't know...maybe he was just using me because of my powers or something...I don't know.....but a lot's gonna go down...believe me."  
  
"Bastard..."  
  
X looked at Zero with eyes that held the sacred holiness of a dark sapphire blue night. His best friend was the eternal rival of Sigma...his tormentor. Axl's eyes widened in fear as he noticed that the Crimson Hunter was pretty upset. "What's up, Zero?'  
  
"Nothing." he said darkly, sighing heavily. "I'm just an old friend of Sigma's, that's all." Ha-that was definitely sarcasm. Axl could tell that Zero hated Sigma with all of his heart and soul. "I'm sorry he ruined everything for you."  
  
"It's okay." Axl said softly, telling him to calm down with warm, cheerful eyes. "No problem. Don't worry about it. I'm here, everything's cool. Just chill. I'm ready to kick some serious ass with you guys, so I'm fine. Thanks a lot for lettin' me stay here, by the way."  
  
"You're welcome." Signas said to him, putting an arm about his shoulders. "We'll take care of you, friend. Welcome aboard."  
  
"Don't worry about me." Axl put a hand to his chest with the greatest of confidence. His eyes were lit with a new power, a power that was born from the light of new bravery. "I may not be as cool as Zero or X, but I can hold my own ground. Once I get out there with you guys, I'll probably become even stronger."  
  
A smile of fondness bloomed in Douglas' eyes and across his face, resembling the beams of sunlight that soared through a distant winter night. "What about the others, Axl?" he asked. "Who's still with him?"  
  
Axl looked as if he had just tasted a dead lemon. His face scrunched up in disgust, making it clear that he hated to think about his former comrades. "Let me see. Red's got Snipe Ariquick, Hellride, Wind Karasting, Splash Wafly, Hyenard, Galgaroon, Stonekong and Debonion-they're all his generals and stuff, spread out in several areas. He's got a bunch of minions under him, like all evil guys do." The newcomer shrugged carelessly, but his eyes held a little pain. He was still feeling the hard sting of disloyalty....and they thought he was the traitor.....  
  
"Zero?"  
  
Axl's eyes sparkled with apprehension as Zero fell to his knees, clutching his heart. X was at his side, his beautiful blue eyes radiating the sweetest, deepest concern and affection. The little Blue Bomber put an arm about his friend's shoulders, his face the very picture of distress. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm all right, X. I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be sorry! You've got nothing to be sorry for! Chin up, okay?"  
  
"Are you guys like tied at the hip or what?" Axl blurted out. That was something he had to get to off his chest. X and Zero were such a cute pair- it only took a second and half a brain to figure out that they were really good friends. X gave a huge smile to him, looking like a child at the fair. Pride, eternal devotion and ecstasy were serene lights in his gentle, tender blue eyes.  
  
"Yeah! You bet we are!"  
  
"Huh."  
  
Axl sighed to himself as jealously rammed itself into his heart. It wasn't cold, hard jealousy-just the type of jealousy a friend had for another. He watched X embrace Zero with the sunniest smile and listened to him tell him how cool he thought he was-  
  
Some guys just get all of the luck in the world.  
  
"Axl!! You cannot leave me-I need you!!"  
  
"You ungrateful wretch, how can you abadon me?!?!"  
  
Man....... the young Reploid thought to himself.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay, Zero?"  
  
"I'm okay, X.....please don't worry about me....I'm fine, okay?"  
  
X put his forehead against Zero's, smiling. "Keep up that attitude. We'll beat him together, the same way we always do. We've got Axl with us now, too!"  
  
The nightmare came back to him.....like an executioner that was ready to drop the ax.....  
  
"All right. I'll try too. Thank you, X."  
  
X brought Zero closer to him, the way a child would cling on to a teddy bear. Dr.Cain chuckled at the both of them, hiding the sadness that was silently boiling inside of him. "X. Axl. Why don't you two go and gear up? Pretty good idea, don't you think?"  
  
"Totally!" Axl shot his hand in the air happily. "But what about Zero?"  
  
The look Zero sent his way broke his heart.  
  
It made him think of a puppy....that was lost out in the middle of some storm....  
  
"He's gotta come with me and Douglas for a few minutes." Dr.Cain told him softly. "He'll meet up with you guys in a bit, don't worry. Trouble's gonna brew up pretty quick here-I can feel it. Now go on, you two."  
  
X slowly let Zero out of his arms and helped him to his feet, then with a bit of reluctance, took Axl by the arm and began to leave. Alia flung herself back into her seat and instantly began to press a lot of buttons on her controls, finding out that Dr.Cain's words were true.  
  
"You were right. We've got trouble comin' in and it's comin' in fast. Axl's former friends seem to be pretty edgy. We're gettin' a transmission from 'Red' right now."  
  
A small gasp of horror drew itself from Axl's throat, and his heart plunged right into a pit of black fire. A mixture of emotions rushed into his body and into his eyes, creating a torrent of fire in his young eyes. General Signas put his arm on Alia's shoulder, his voice filled with a high elevation of anxiety and excitement.  
  
"Patch it through, Alia!"  
  
--End of chapter four. For those of you that wish to know more about Zero's problem..... In the game, he has a virus that's constantly eating away at his body....since he's going against his original purpose, the virus is incessantly tormenting him, and it will continue to torment him until he truly becomes a Maverick. In 'Strings of Fate', the virus inside of Zero's body is either going to transform him into a killing machine or kill him. Dr. Cain will explain more soon. Oh, and by the way-I've noticed that people don't stray into the Tales of Destiny section-if you're reading this, please stop by and read 'Eternal Memories' and r&r! I'm hoping that the 'word of mouth' method will work.......PEACE, I'M OUT FOR NOW! 


	5. Ignition of Fire

Thank you so much! I was waiting for someone else to review my story! If I don't get any requests for more chapters, why on Earth would I continue to write my story? If no one wants to read it, why publish it, right? Thank you so much! I'll continue it, because of that review! I'm glad my story is liked by someone-two people, actually!

--"Roger."

Within a second the face of a Reploid that was so familiar to Axl came up on Alia's main screen, bearing the look of a harsh, sadistic demon. The expression on his face disgusted Axl-he had never seen such a look on his former friend's face before....and he never thought he would, either. Anger tore away at the young Reploid's heart like the claws of a tiger, consumed by the cold mists of pain and confusion....

"Attention all Maverick Hunters! This is Red speaking, the mighty commander of the Red Alert Syndicate! We're searching for a runaway traitor-Axl is his name, and we think he may be with you. Oh, what am I saying? He is with all of you, I know he is. He practically idolizes the two Maverick Hunters Zero and Mega Man X."

The charming, careless smile that had been on the Reploid's face at the start changed into a perilous look of venomous hatred. His tone became dark and menacing, equaling the tone of his wrathful eyes-

"He's in there. I know he is. And we want him back. If you don't surrender him to us, there will be....well, you know what happens to all goody-goods if they refuse to bow down. You'll pay for being such lame idiots if Axl doesn't return to us. He's pretty special to me, you know."

"WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP!"

The soft, kind eyes of X and Zero turned to Axl because of his sudden outburst of rage. The young Replid became a little embarrassed at this but was far too angry to be self-conscious-Red had become a downright scumbag. The scumbag continued on with his vicious threats, looking like a cat that was trying to coax a mouse out of his hole.

"There's an easy way to avoid unnecessary confrontations. Just hand him over to me, and all will be taken care of, trust me. We'll have our friend back and you all can go back to your happy little lives. If you decided to keep him with you, then you'll all be in BIG trouble. VERY BIG TROUBLE."

Red's face vanished from the screen, but the fun didn't stop-

"They don't kid around when they're ticked off? The party's already getting started, you guys! Red's friends are DEFINITELY on the edge!" Alia cried out, analyzing the data on her screen.


	6. Song of Love's Future

Axl's heart sank under immense guilt. He had placed the Hunters in a dangerous situation-Red was hot on his trail and wasn't willing to stop for anything. The Maverick Hunters were going to have to deal with him now, and that made Axl feel pretty bad. Being among them was exciting, no doubt about that, but landing his friends in trouble kinda clashed with that excitement. "I'm really sorry, you guys." he said miserably. "This is all my fault."

He expected someone to say something like "Throw the kid back to the Syndicate!", but he received nothing like that. Smiles of great kindness and determination shimmered with the auras of doves, bringing to his heart wondrous relief, but the guilt still hung in the balance. Putting a bunch of his friends in danger wasn't exactly cool. Alia turned away from her controls and to the young Reploid-her voice was a dulcet breeze filled with the song of an angel's harp."Don't be so down, Axl." she urged. Douglas, always ready to lend a helping hand, jumped in eagerly.

"Yeah! We're Maverick Hunters! We stick by our friends no matter what!"

"I'm certainly not willing to hand you over." Signas said, folding his arms. The tone of his voice made it evident that he wanted Axl to stay under the wings of the Maverick Hunters-everyone he came in contact with became like family to him. That was one of the reasons as to why he made a phenomenal general. He was pretty protective of every soldier in the base. Like Cain, he thought of Zero and X as his sons. Everyone was deeply fond of Signas because of his fatherly qualities.

"A true Maverick Hunter defends what they hold dear."

"So! There you have it." Cain, ready to leave with Zero and Douglas, put a hand on Axl's shoulder cheerfully. The old man was always smiling and bore spirited, light eyes-his tone always sounded so nonchalant and carefree but his eyes told all.

"Axl, it doesn't look like anyone's miffed with having you onboard, so you're staying with us. No ifs or buts about that. Hurry up and take off with X-I've gotta deal with Zero."

Sadness rapidly stabbed Axl in the heart right then and there. It also did the same to Zero.....as the Crimson Hunter stared at the expression on X's face. The little puppy looked so sad and worried.....

"Doc, what's wrong with-"

Before he could finish the question X took him by the arm with one of his wide, puppy smiles. The smile was on his face, all right-but Axl knew he was upset. "Come on!" the Blue Bomber said happily, trying very hard to hide his true emotions. "Let's go and get ready. I can show you around a bit, okay?"

X's optimism made Zero's heart sink to rock bottom. It always did. Axl took one last look at the Crimson Hunter before he was lead off by Cain, then he reluctantly followed X. "All right..." he muttered under his breath, unwilling to let go of the subject so easily.........


	7. Initiation

Hello again, everyone! Me here. I just read the latest review yesterday, and I agree with what the review said. This story is almost completed-I am just now able to upload it onto this site. This story isn't saved onto my computer, and I didn't place it on a disk, so that's why it'll take some time for this to be completed. I love reading reviews, because I can know how others feel about my story!

I don't really want to update without feedback, but I know that reviews don't come flying in at the drop of a hat. There is no sense in completing a story if no one wants to read it, but since I'm really proud of this story, I'll try my hardest to finish!

As for the review, I agree with you about X's personality. It was fine with me back when I was first writing this story, but now I look back at it and go "ugh". I know a lot more about the Mega Man X world now, and I have heard the voice actor for X in Command Mission and X8. So you know what? I think I'll give this story a bit of a makeover. Have fun, enjoy!!

--The Maverick Hunter base was filled with the extraordinary beauty of starlight-it looked as if there were a million stars, lingering in the cold, calm air....and it was as if they knew about the emotions inside of the young Axl's heart. The young reploid felt as if they were listening to him somehow.....and he knew that he certainly wasn't listening to what X was saying. The legendary Maverick Hunter was taking him on a tour of the Maverick Hunter base, but Axl's mind was on the conversation that had just taken place about Zero.

What was wrong with Zero?

Not being able to figure something out bothered him.

X was carefully showing him every inch of the base, but the words of the great Hunter were falling on deaf ears. The look Zero had on his face was glued in Axl's mind.....and so he could think of nothing else at the moment.....

"All employees have their very own dormitory here. The dormitories are located in the West Wing, which isn't too far from here. We'll have to get you one, so you can have a place to sleep. You may use your dormitory in anyway you wish to use it. The observatory is quite close to the dormitory area. The monitors inside of the dormitory display the activity of outer space, so whenever you would like to take a look at what's going on outside of the Earth's atmosphere, head for the observatory. It's a very nice place to be if you want to take a break."

Axl looked distracted, but the Blue Bomber either didn't notice the look on his face, or he just wanted to keep himself distracted.....

"This is the Maverick Hunter laboratory, where our friend Gate conducts many experiments along with his crew. Projects concerning the Earth and its activity are done inside of here. They also assist Douglas and his crew when it comes to making up new equipment."

The level of anxiety was rising higher and higher. It was almost at vehement, fiery level.


	8. Discovery

A soft sigh escaped Axl's mouth. A part of him really didn't want to ask the question that was on his mind....but the other part of him wanted answers. His heart went out to his new friend-the young Reploid felt as if he had known him his whole life.......

And so he wanted to help him.

"X?"

"Yes?" X asked him, not really wanting to hear what was going to come next.

"What's wrong with Zero?"

Silence dive-bombed into them for brief moment, making them both feel uneasy. The look on X's face made Axl feel bad for asking the question that had been tugging on him, but....

"Sorry, but........"

"No." X held up a hand with a smile. "It's all right. I guess I'll tell you....but are you sure you want to know? This......really doesn't concern you. I don't think we should burden you with anything. You're already dealing with Red Alert and Sigma."

Axl smiled back at him, touched by his thoughtfulness. There was a warm smile on the Maverick Hunter's face.....but his eyes were tainted by sadness. There were gemstones...drowning in ultimate, complete darkness......and the Hunter had no desire to add more worries to his new friend's agenda.....but the young runaway really wanted him to know that he was there to help.

Friends helped each other out, right?

The former member of Red Alert's smile became brighter-it shamed even the brightest star. "I'd like to know. You can tell me. Maybe I can help out with something, y'know? You never know."

X's smile became even warmer, but at the same time, the sorrow in his eyes increased. Looking at him was like trying to look at an abandoned puppy. In other words, it was pretty hard. He sighed heavily, trying to figure out if he would have enough strength to tell the tale of his best friend.....maybe he would just get right down to the nitty-gritty.

"I'll make this short. There's a virus inside of Zero......and it's killing him. Slowly."

A small gasp left Axl's mouth, and looking at X was still excruciatingly hard. The Hunter was holding back so many emotions.....and his eyes were so sad.....

"Look at it this way. There are two voices inside of him. One's telling him to become the bloodthirsty, mindless killer Sigma wants him to be....the other is telling him to let the virus kill him. Guess which one he's listening to."


	9. The Fire of the Black Tiger

Shock, fear and sadness became one in Axl's bright, vivacious eyes. A deadly virus was locked inside of Zero's body?

Horrible. Horrible news.

X saw the look in his friend's eyes and sighed again, feeling lost and hopeless, like a rat inside of a cage. His gentle, soft voice was burdened by thunderous grief and pain. "See? I shouldn't have told you. You have enough to worry about....and nothing can be done anyway."

Confusion joined the other emotions inside of Axl's eyes. "What?"

"I said, nothing can be done. We can't do anything about the virus."

"Wha-have you tried to get it out? There has to be something you can do!"

X smiled and chuckled at him weakly. It was like watching the sun make an attempt to break out from the chains of a black storm.

"We've tried everything. All options have been exhausted. The virus can't be transferred over to Sigma, since he has made himself immune to all viruses. Zero won't allow me to take the virus-I suggested that and he almost killed me. Douglas, Gate and all of our other researches tried to have it removed, but none of their attempts worked. Nothing worked."

The shock in Axl's voice was strong. And so was the disgust.

"So it's glued inside of Zero's body, correct?"

"Correct." X hung his head. "I would gladly cut off all of my limbs to get rid of the virus, but.....I don't know. Nobody knows. Nothing can be done, and that's all there is to it."

What Axl said next surprised him, and it made him realize that the runaway wasn't just any other Reploid.

"You're wrong. All of you are. There has to be SOMETHING. There just has to be way. Where there's a will, there's a way, right?"

For a minute, X had no response to that, since Axl's words were completely unexpected. His friend's face had determination stamped all over it-it was an amazing sight. He had never seen such courage.

"I'm not trying to say that you guys aren't trying hard enough. I'm just saying that there's another option out there. We just have to find it, that's all."

"We?"


	10. Doubt

"That's right-'we'. I'm going to help out. I'd like to help out, but not because I want to become a Maverick Hunter. It's because.....well, I'd like to become....y'know.....a friend."

X put a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. A part of his heart soared into blue skies because of his friend's determination, but at the same time, he was being crushed under doubt...under fear. This Reploid really believed that there was hope, didn't he? All grounds had been covered....all options had been used.....but someone thought there was still hope.

"Where do you think 'we' should start, then?"

Axl scowled at him, offended by X's disbelief. "I don't know, but we've got to start somewhere! X, if you don't believe in me, then I'll find a way to save Zero by myself! I know I can do it, I know I can! You don't know what's going to happen until you reach the finish line! You can't take down hope. We just HAVE t'try-Zero's your buddy, right?!"

"Right...."

Axl's determination was moving him to tears. He didn't expect to see so much compassion....so much bravery. The young one's determination was inspirational-his voice made X think of eagles soaring through clear blue skies. The look in Axl's eyes made the desire to laugh spring up, but it remained ignored. The former member of Red Alert's attitude was unbelievable.....in a very good way.

"Something's out there. I know it is. We just have to try. Are you with me?"

One thing popped up in X's eyes-hesitation. He looked like a lion cub that was being pulled away from its family-confused, unsure, uneasy. The determination on Axl's face didn't die down-it actually become stronger. The Blue Bomber felt as if Axl had been sent to him...to bring him hope.....but how much hope was out there?

What was out there?

"I'm with you, Axl."

A smile of jubilance blossomed on the young one's face, and his eyes lit up like stars over a moonlit lake. "All right! Wicked cool! I'll do everything I can to find that cure! Just trust me on this!"

I'm not too sure I can trust myself on this.......X thought, trying to fight off the raging thunderstorm of doubt that was whirling around in his heart. The greatest storm of fear was blazing inside of him....a part of him wanted to ignore that storm, but it was pretty hard to do so. Everyone had tried everything they could think of to save Zero-could he really put his trust in a Reploid that had just arrived seconds ago?

"Let's get started!"


	11. HopeShould We Really Try?

Hello! Rue here! Hope everyone is enjoying my story so far! -is listening to Macalania Woods of FFX OST- I think this song matches the part I'm writing right now.

_Disclaimer: I own none of these characters and if I did, I would be as rich as Donald Trump. Thank you for listening._

_All kinds of reviews are welcome_-just don't use any **profanity** or really unnecessary,** rude** comments. Once again, thank you for your time, and enjoy! Feel free to email me if you prefer using email to tell someone about their story! _**Any feedback is WELCOME! MWAHAHA**_

--"Now _wait a minute_, Axl. We can't forget about the business at hand here. Don't tell you me you've forgotten about what happened with you and Red Alert." X said urgently, holding up a hand. "We can't just jump from one problem to the other."

The enthusiasm level shot down, but only a little. "Aww, sorry about that X. Guess I just got too excited."

(A/N: Axl has the CUTEST voice: thanks to Jeffrey Watson!!!)

The doubt was still in the eyes of Mega Man X...floating...lingering....eating away at him. Could he really believe there was hope? What if it didn't exist? What if...what if.....

What if what if what if what if.......

_I really don't know about this......_

--"Ambre! Captain Zero's heart rate has shot down by 2.5-and it's still decreasing!'

"Zero's internal system is growing weaker and weaker with every second. We're running out of time-there isn't much we can do!"

"He doesn't have much strength left. Our captain only has a few days left."

Ambre, the right hand man of Gate, who was an old friend of Alia's, looked over at his commander worriedly, not pleased with the current news. Gate looked back at him, but not with a smile-the same amount of sadness was on his own face. "Gallon is right, sir." Ambre told him sadly, feeling the acidic taste of defeat in his mouth.

"There isn't anything left."

Gate sighed, and placed his attention on the ground for a moment, not wanting to believe anything he was hearing. Zero wasn't too far away from him-he was only a few feet away, locked inside of an analyses tube......but he couldn't hear, couldn't see....

Sleeping. That's what he was doing.

Sleeping.


	12. The Light of a Promise

Rue here! _-is listening to FFX soundtrack-_ Hope everyone is enjoying themselves, and I also hope that you'll stay on until the very end! Just keep your hands and legs inside of the cart at all times, and once again, thank you for choosing Rue Airlines. Enjoy this next chapter, sit back and relax.—

Gate's heart dropped a million miles into a vault of endless pain. Along with a few of his crewmembers, he looked upon the body of Zero, one of the greatest Maverick Hunters. His soft green eyes became excruciatingly heavy with fear as he desperately waited for one of his companions to deliver at least a sliver of good news....

But only silence could be found.

Cold, deadly silence.

The faces of his loyal crewmembers were filled to the rims with pain. No one said anything...for there was nothing to be said. No optimism, no smiles...

Only pain.

A young Reploid shattered the silence after several long minutes, but his words weren't glowing with happiness. His face bore a great resemblance to the face of a saddened puppy, and his voice was burdened with apprehension.

"Captain Zero......I can't believe this. I can't believe this at all. There's....nothing we can do for him."

"So we're supposed to just watch him die?!" A female Reploid shouted in disbelief, not wanting to believe what was going on. The idea of watching someone drift away disgusted her, but she received no positive reaction to her outburst.

"I'm afraid.......that's right......Sophitia. We've lost all hope. The virus cannot be removed from Zero's heart." Gate told her sadly, placing a hand over his eyes. The emotion called despair overwhelmed his entire body....he could actually taste the sadness within his heart....

And it was an awful taste.

More silence passed by...and it passed by slowly. Every single Reploid inside of the Infirmary felt uneasy...uncomfortable....Sophitia wasn't the only one that was uncomfortable with thought of watching a friend's life end.....

But nothing could be done.

Ten minutes elapsed, and then a small sigh left Gate's lips.

"Cameo, open the tube, please. Release our dear friend."

The one called Cameo followed his commander's orders, even though his body felt as if it were a sack of iron because of the sorrow flowing through every inch of it. He felt cold, lost, desperate...and lonely. The Maverick Hunter called Zero was his idol-actually, the Crimson Flame was idolized all throughout the Maverick Hunter Headquarters. Watching the flame die out wasn't something that pleased him......

But nothing could be done.

"Nothing can be done."

That horrible, ugly sentence was like the poison of a cobra.. And everyone kept saying it.

Slowly, the weakened Maverick Hunter called Zero descended from the analyses tube and looked upon the faces of his friends, bearing a resemblance to a newborn child. Not a single smile met his eyes-none of them were happy about anything that was going on. Gate looked into the Hunter's eyes sadly, wanting to say something positive.....

But there was nothing that could be said.

Well, there WAS something that could be said.

"Zero?"

"Yeah?" the handsome Hunter asked Gate, with a warm smile.

Gate sighed heavily, and hung his head. The words within his heart were slowly eating away at his soul.....but.....he wanted them to be heard. They needed to be said.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Zero."

Immeasurable sadness fell into Zero's beautiful eyes for a minute. They were transformed into solid pools of ethereal beauty.....and their beauty caused tears to enter Gate's eyes. The researcher's heart fell into a world of dark, impenetrable grief.....and he fell to his knees in agony. The look in his friend's eyes shattered him completely.....looking at him was like trying to look at a dying kitten. The Maverick Hunter didn't want to die-there was so much that needed to be done.....needed to be said....

"Zero....."

An affectionate smile lit up the handsome Reploid's face. He threw Gate a wink, looking as if the world was filled with golden sunshine.

"Hey. It's all right. Thanks a lot.....all of you....for trying to help. I appreciate your efforts, really."

Not a single word was said after that. Gate didn't move....he could barely breathe. None of his crewmembers said anything, for they were also paralyzed by grief.

Zero wasn't the only one with a virus.

Sigma had also given all of his friends a virus.

And it was a well-known virus-

Pain.

The Maverick Hunter left the Infirmary....and pristine dewdrops streamed from the eyes of a Reploid named Strike. Gate's ally fell to the ground, pounding the cold, hard ground in frusteration....

"Damn it....damn everything......"

--Silence wasn't just in the Infirmary. It was flowing throughout the entire Maverick Hunter base, like dark mists of destruction. The entire base was than the very surface of the moon. The hearts of the Reploids were painfully drenched in darkness.....and sorrow was consuming each and every soul......

Well, not every soul was being consumed by everlasting pain.

There was one soul that refused to be taken down by the hands of evil.

There was one soul that believed in hope.

There was a Reploid......that could still smile....that could still dream.—

"Why are you two so quiet?"

Mega Man X and Axl gasped at the sound of Zero's voice. The two of them were standing right outside of the Infirmary, and the Crimson Flame was right behind them, wearing a warm yet cocky smile. Axl's face lit up and shamed the face of the cutest infant.

"Zero!"

"Hey pal." The blonde-haired Maverick Hunter patted Axl on the shoulder, smiling at him as if he had known Axl his whole life. X, on the other hand, was unable to smile-he looked like someone that had just been coaxed into throwing away a million dollars on the state lottery.

"X, what's up? Something wrong with you two?"

"Not really." Axl replied happily, his eyes shining like two young flames. "Everything's okay here. Ready t'go, Zero?"

"You bet. Let's get this show on the road."

The Crimson Hunter looked over at X, but his dearest friend's expression did not change. The Blue Bomber looked like he was unsure of something......

"X?"

"Yeah, I'm ready. Are you sure about this, Zero? Axl and I can handle ourselves."

For a second, Zero looked offended-X wanted to leave him out of everything. But then his smile returned....and it was warmer than the warmest summer night.

"I'm not staying behind. No way, Jose. I'm going with you two, and that's THAT. Got it?"

Mega Man X hung his head, defeated.....lost....still uneasy.....

"Got it. Let's go and get information from Alia. I'm sure she'll have our mission data ready."

The three friends silently made their way back into the main room of the base...each with their own thoughts and emotions. One Reploid was lost in the depths of unbreakable despair......one Reploid was determined to stay with his friends until the very end........and the other Reploid was ready to restore the lost song of hope......

There was one soul that believed in the light called "hope".

And that soul's name....was Axl.

_Don't you worry about a thing, X. Everything's gonna be fine._

_I'll find a way to save him._

_I promise._

--Axl from X8: Better watch out, X. I might just steal your spotlight!

**_TOO KAWAII!!!! CUTE CUTE CUTE-I LOVE HIS VOICE!_**

he's cute beyond belief!

While I wrote this chapter, I listened to "Wandering" of the FFX soundtrack. If any of you know of FFX's music, then you can kinda picture the atmosphere I have when I write. Pretty cool, huh? I hope all of you are enjoying the flight, and if any of have and questions or comments, please feel free to speak to me, the captain! hee hee-once again, ANY feedback is welcome! Email or on Fanfiction, even though I would prefer reviews on FanFiction. The only comments that aren't welcome are unnecessary, rude comments or comments filled with profanity. If you think this story sucks, please don't say just that-tell me WHY it sucks. Detailed feedback! THANX 4 STOPPIN' BY!!!!!!!!!!!


	13. Blazing Emotion, Distant Memories

Hi, and welcome to the next chapter of 'Strings of Fate'! waves and smiles because of reviews Everyone, thanks so much for the feedback! Uzu-chan, I'm glad you like my story!!! smiles I didn't know Gate had the Zero Virus before I read your review, but I'll leave him alone, 'cuz dis fanficcy is all about Zero and HIS virus, so you don't have to worry about your precious Gate!! heehee. I'm glad I'm doing a good job! I know X was no different from a puppy in the earlier chapters, and I went "ugh" when I read through them, and so did another person, and that's why I changed his behavior. Hope everything's cool now! _Continue to sit back, relax, and enjoy the movie!_

--The three friends, lost within the grips of deadly silence, made it back into the main room of the base after five minutes, but to Axl, five years had passed. The emotions blazing within his soul had caused time to lose its meaning....but time had also become his greatest enemy. It was a strange feeling, being lost in something that had no meaning......but he could do nothing to stop the emotions from rising within him.....

_"Axl!! Don't leave me!!! We need you here! I need you here!!"_

_"Sorry Red, but things have gotten out of hand. I can't stay here anymore."_

_"Just wait and see. Everything will be set right! I promise you! Just stay with me...and do as I ask! I need your help, Axl!"_

_"Red, you aren't acting like the Red I know. The Red I know is honorable and proud. He would never throw himself at ANYONE'S feet. You're just being disgusting."_

_"......Axl. Nothing has changed. You know that. Please...don't leave me."_

_"HOW DARE YOU TURN YOUR BACK ON ME, YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE WRETCH!!"_

_"I don't like what's going on, Red. I don't like what you've become. I don't like having anyone kiss my feet-I really don't like anything that's going on right now."_

Just a few seconds ago....he was a part of the Red Alert......

He was a part of Red's life.....a very important part.....

And now he was with Mega Man X and Zero, the world famous Maverick Hunters....

Trying to figure out the perfect cure for Zero's virus.

_Red.........._

_What happened to you?_

_You changed.......you turned on me..._

_But I'm the traitor?_

_I've lost you......._

_It's like.......you've been replaced by an evil clone or something....._

_Things weren't like this.....before......._

_"AXL!"_

The young Reploid snapped back to reality in an instant, and realized that he was in between his two friends, and right in front of Alia. Sheepishly, he looked about him the way a baby would look at its new home for the very first time, and smiled.

"Heh heh, sorry about that. Guess I kinda zoned out on you guys."

X's mood hadn't changed a bit. He looked at his new friend worriedly, still feeling awful about the new burden on the young runaway's shoulders. "Axl, I take it you didn't hear a world Alia said." he said to him firmly, his eyes shining like lightning. Tender concern was lingering within the beautiful eyes of the blue Maverick Hunter like soft spring winds.....Zero's face was also filled with soft concern....

And confusion.

Something was going on between X and Axl.....and it was something he didn't know about.

Yet.

"Yeah, you're right." Axl admitted embarrassedly, laughing. "Didn't hear anything. Anyone mind bringing me up to speed? Heh heh!"

Playfully, Zero put a hand over his eyes, sighed heavily and hung his head. The breathtaking Alia decided to give the young Reploid everything he had missed, since X looked like he was trying to figure out why Axl had zoned out.....

"All right. Tornado Tonion has seized one of the world's biggest radio towers, and from that tower he's sending out messages to other Mavericks across the globe. He should have his flame snuffed out first, so we can prevent a huge wave of Mavericks from attacking. Be careful out there, my friends-weather reports say that it isn't looking too hot out there. There's a huge thunderstorm going on in that very area, so tread carefully. Once you arrive, you'll encounter a huge Mechanloid. Go right for his head-that's his weak point. Head for the very top of the tower and you'll find Tonion. Got it, Axl? Got that, everyone?"

X's response was the response of a dutiful soldier......but it was also the response of a person being forced to throw away his life savings on a casino game.

"Right."

Zero's voice was filled with the mysterious, beautiful aura of twilight.....it poured out great determination and bravery....but at the same time....it was filled with sadness....unbreakable sadness....

"Got it."

Axl was ready and kickin'. The young Reploid's face shamed even the brightest star among the heavens.....but X could tell that a lot was on his mind.

"You bet! Let's get out there, you guys! Time waits for no one! Yeeha!"

Alia saluted him with a smile. She had never seen such enthusiasm before. Axl's vivacity captivated her. "Well, you've got the personality of a Maverick Hunter!" she said to him, her ravishing eyes shimmering with sunlight. "Let's see if you've got what it takes to fight like one!"

Valiance entered Axl's eyes the way a lightning bolt struck the dark horizon.

"Don't worry-I'll show you what I've got up my sleeve. Those punks don't have a chance against me."

Within a second, the young Reploid was gone. X lowered his head and stare at the ground for a moment, unable to take his mind off of the conversation he had with the young one. Zero looked at his best friend fearfully, trying to figure out what was bothering him.....

"X, what's on your mind?"

Those very words triggered the desire to spill everything, but X stopped himself in the nick of time. He looked up at his dearest friend, sighed and spoke.

Everyone was sighing a lot these days.

"Nothing. It's just that....Axl has a lot to worry about, y'know. I guess I'm just worried about him, that's all. I mean, did you see the look on Red's face during the transmission Alia pulled up?"

"Yeah.....he did look pretty freaky. I never thought I would see anyone as ugly as Sigma, but I guess I was wrong. Oh well."

"And....I guess.....I'm.....worried about you....too."

Zero's eyes widened at those words, and a small gasp left his mouth. He looked at the crestfallen Hunter, wanting to say something to him.....but.....

"X....."

A warm smile bloomed on the blue Maverick Hunter's face. He looked over at Alia, who was also lost in sorrow and pain. She had heard the brief conversation between Zero and X, she saw the look on X's face....

Her heart was hurting. Badly.

"Well then. Alia?"

"Yes?" she said, making an attempt to smile. X saluted her, and then gave her a wink.

"I guess I'll see you later."

A second later, he teleported from the Maverick Hunter base, leaving Zero and Alia behind. Lost in silence, the two of them exchanged glances.

Both of them felt as if they had been defeated a million times.

Alia put a hand over her eyes, ran that hand over her face, and then slammed her forehead onto her station's table. Zero stared at the floor for a moment.

Everyone was feeling lost these days.

"So, you're going too, right?" Alia asked him sadly after what felt like a year. He smiled at her weakly.

"Yeah, I'm out. Check ya later, Ali."

"byeeeeeeeee. report back soon."

The Crimson Flame teleported in no more than a second, and Alia was left with her own blazing emotions.

This was the lowdown.

Zero was on his last legs,

Mega Man X, the Reploid she fell in love with on first sight, was about to lose his best friend,

And her new friend, Axl, was on the run, trying to escape the clutches of psychotic freaks.

Life was great.

Ha ha.

_This sucks........_

--Hi everyone!!! Hope you're still enjoying the story, yuppie yuppers!!! Uzu-chan, as for your question about the X8 novelization, YES!!! I'm going to do it, when I'm finished with this! I've already got it all planned out!! I'm thinking about using the "Contest of Aeons" song for the final battle between our heroes and Sigma! It will be a battle of epic proportions, I promise!! i used "dearly beloved" from kingdom hearts while writing this chapter...the MUSIC BOX VERSION THAT COMES ON AT THE VERY END!!!! pretty cool, huh!!!! once again, thank you for your support everyone, and I'm open to ALL COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS!!!!! email me or use fanfiction!!!!

BTW, Uzu-chan........WHERE'S THE UPDATE ON YOUR STORY?!?!?!? HELLO, DOES THE TITLE 'WHY WON'T ANYONE TALK TO ME?' RING ANY BELLS!!!! sorry but it's just SO COOL! -throws Axl parade- I NEVER KNEW SO MANY PEOPLE LIKED AXL!!! HIP HIP HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	14. The First Leap

Hey. Rue here again. For a moment I'm going to put aside all of the "yuppie yuppers" and get serious here. I'd like to thank everyone for their support, and I'm glad you're all enjoying 'Strings of Fate'. All of your words touched me-every single person put fire into my engine. I hope you'll continue to stay with me until the very end.

To Khilai: (rolls out the red carpet, millions of people take pictures) _**Ladies and gentlemen, the great author of 'Complexity of a Soul' has just entered the building!!!**_

Seriously, I'm really glad you stopped by! Thank you very much for your kind words! They were words from a sovereign to a lowly knight. I hope you continue to work on your story, for I plan on reading every chapter.

To Erckie: Hi! I'm glad you took the time to stop by, and thank you very much. I appreciate your criticism, and I respect the true story of MegaMan X7. I played it myself, and I almost reached the very end of it, so I'm well aware of the fact that the Zero Virus didn't really even exist in X7, and MegaMan was totally against everything that was going on, and he DEFINITELY didn't approve of Axl's wanting to become a Hunter. I'm going to say this though-this is my story, and I'm sticking to it until the very end. It's a fanfic, and I enjoy letting my imagination run wild. In 'Strings of Fate' there are going to be a few more things that have nothing to do with the true story of X7-and those things will concern Axl and Zero. I hope I haven't made you angry with my words. If you would like to see the true events of X7, play it. I do agree with the tip you gave me, though-I'm going to pick up the action now. I don't want anyone to become bored by the talking, because the characters feelings are important.

To Uzu-Chan: _HIII!!!!!!!_ NO I haven't played through the Normal mode of X8, yet. I'm trying to, but I suck horrendously at it. And I definitely can't do Hard mode. I know there are big battles with Lumine, Vile and Sigma, but I also know that I'm missing out on very important information. I don't know what happens between Lumine and Axl! boohoo for me. I'll definitely get the low-down before I write the story, though. And once again, thank you for stopping by! And keep up your story! I'm rooting for you! (throws Axl festival) rock on.

--Alia had been correct about the storm. It was a massive thunderstorm, one that held the mighty force of a dragon's soul. Black winds were soaring throughout the dark skies, freezing everything they came into contact with. There were clouds in the sky, but they were barely visible because of the darkness they were immersed in. The only sources of light were the bolts of golden yellow lightning-sharp bolts of energy were falling from the black clouds at an alarming speed. The bolts of lightning were shaming the speed of light itself.

The bolts of lightning made X think of how fast time was flowing.

The three of them arrived on the scene, each of them still lost within their emotions. Axl's face was bright with an unbelievable amount of determination-one glance at his face almost made the blue Maverick Hunter's eyes well up with tears. He never thought such a degree of bravery even existed before the young runaway crashed into the Maverick Hunter base.

As for Zero.....

Strong determination was also on his face, but unfortunately, it was pinned down by desperation. Desperation had given birth to the valiance on his face, in his eyes....he was trying to put up a strong front, but it wasn't working. X could see right through the mask.

The winds were excruciatingly cold and amazingly strong....trying to see clearly was clearly impossible. The dark mists of the winds were seeping into Zero's soul, and so the proud Maverick Hunter was brought down to his knees. He wrapped his arms around himself and closed his eyes, trying to block out everything....but nothing he could do worked. The winds were performing their evil magic on him successfully.

"Zero!!"

X fell to his knees and embraced his friend, joining him in the fight against the malicious, relentless winds of death. He held onto him tightly, wanting to end the pain, but his results were no different from Zero's. There wasn't a thing he could do....

But he wanted to hold onto Zero for as long as he could.

Axl had gone a few yards ahead of them-he was obviously ready for action, and he was definitely ready to protect his two new friends. He scanned their surroundings for a second, and then looked behind himself-X and Zero weren't with him. He called out to them as loudly as he could, hoping they would hear him.

"HEY!! YOU GUYS!!! THE MECHANALOID YOUR NAVIGATOR TOLD US ABOUT IT RIGHT UP AHEAD!!! COME ON!!!"

"AXL!!!!" X called out to him helplessly, bearing the look of a forlorn kitten. "ZERO CAN'T-"

"X."

The great Maverick Hunter looked at his dearest friend in the eyes. His ethereal eyes were filled to the rims with powerful resolve.......

He didn't want to be kept down.

_Zero had such a big ego._

"Zero....."

The Crimson Hunter smiled at him warmly, trying to comfort him. "I'm fine. Let's go."

X glanced over at Axl. Axl tossed him a wink and went straight for the enemy.

_**I feel like I'm wedged between two rocks. Two REALLY big rocks.**_

The young Axl was alive and kicking. His heart was strong, stronger than any storm....stronger than any evil force. His eyes were shimmering jewels of invigorating, awe-inspiring energy....and the flames coming from within his heart were flames of bravery that defied all types of description. Zero's soul, on the other hand, was also shining with valiance.....

But the valiance was weak.

He was trying to keep X in high spirits...

He was trying to keep _himself_ in high spirits.

_**I feel like I'm wedged between two REALLY, REALLY big rocks.**_

"X, listen to me." Zero said to his dearest friend firmly, looking at him right in the eyes. X looked like someone that was being pushed into something......

In other words, he was definitely frightened.

"I said I'm fine. You can't hold me down."

Yes, but you can't hold back the truth, was what X wanted to say, but his mouth didn't move. The blue Maverick Hunter looked back at Axl, who was tangling with the Mechanaloid. The Mechanaloid wasn't the only friend he had though-he was being attacked simultaneously by many smaller Reploids. In no more than a second, X' mouth fell open, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Take this, scumball!!!! Special delivery from YOURS TRULY!!! YEEEEE-HAAAA!!"

The young Reploid was beyond amazing.

Phenomenal! It's as if he's forming battle strategies and carrying them out all at the same time! X thought to himself, watching Axl take on the crowd. With his two guns, he was unstoppable. It was like watching a newborn bear cub take its first steps! The speed he moved at caused the speed of lightning to fall into the deepest shame imaginable, and his attitude?

He was like a child on Christmas Eve.

Or should that be Christmas Day?

A few moments later, a soft 'swoosh' touched X's ears, and his heart jolted violently.

"Zero!"

The Crimson Flame leapt into the fray, covering Axl's back. The young Reploid threw him a quick smile, wiping out crowds of enemy Reploids with his two guns. X observed the both of them for a minute.....

And realized that something was wrong.

Dead wrong.

_Oh no....._

Zero's Z-Saber drew its power from Zero's emotions, and the strength within Zero's heart. It was a stunning, breathtaking phenomenon....

Before the virus exploded within his body.

Now.....now........

It was.........

Pristine drops of dew rushed into X's eyes, and a hand flew right to his mouth automatically.

_This is horrible....._

In mere seconds the flow of tears caused him to go completely blind.

_No.....this can't be....._

After what felt like an eternity, X wiped his eyes...

And found Axl's hand right in front of his face.

The young Reploid was smiling at him, his eyes shining with infinite warmth. The Red Alert runaway was young, energetic, headstrong....to the untrained eye he was just another upbeat, high-strung kid......but X knew he was more than that.

Way more.

"Ready to go? Tonion's not gonna wait forever, y'know."

"Yeah. I know. Let's go."

MegaMan X took his new friend's hand slowly, trying to figure out.....

Trying to figure out if he had done the right thing.

_If Axl doesn't find a way to cure Zero......_

_Then a part of me will end up hating him._

_I don't want that to happen._

**_Did I do the right thing?_**

"We've gotta get going! We have a long way to go, especially since the weather isn't being friendly to us! The strong winds are just going to make things harder for us, so we need to move fast!" Axl waved his hand at his two friends, his eyes shining like the bolts of lightning falling from the black clouds. X glanced at Zero, who was standing right next to Axl, holding his Saber...

"Axl!"

"Don't worry!" The young one told him. He looked and sounded like someone that was about to take a really easy spelling test. "I'll take care of the both of you! Okay?! Now let's MOVE IT!"

The young Reploid took off into the dark storm, closely followed by Zero, who didn't say a word to X before leaving. X sighed heavily, feeling the first drops of rain fall onto his face.

_A part of me will end up hating you._

_You know I'll end up becoming angry at you....if you fail._

_If you let me down._

IF.

Why was he saying 'if'? There was no cure.

Right?

--The three Reploids soared like falcons throughout the tower silently, striving for the very top of the tower......

Striving for a battle with Tornado.

The storm didn't let up. It actually became worse with every passing second.

Every.....second......

Seconds felt like years.

But time really had no meaning.

All of them were immersed in their own worlds, even though they were acting as one. Axl was the front-runner, soaring through the tower with the most beautiful degree of courage in his eyes. He was no different from a vibrant, adventurous young puppy.....but at the same he was a powerful, awe-inspiring beacon of guidance. Zero was close behind, but he was still lost in the depths of pain.....

The winds weren't leaving him alone.

X couldn't take his eyes off of the Crimson Hunter.

Zero could collapse at any given moment.

The blue Maverick Hunter couldn't take his mind off of his friend's Z-Saber.

_His Saber is in TERRIBLY shape....._

_It's.....it's...._

He didn't want to finish his thought.

It would have hurt too much to do so.

Thirty years passed before Axl spoke to the both of them....

Or was it just ten minutes that had passed?

"ALL RIGHT, YOU TWO!!" he shouted back at them as lightning lit up his face. "OUR FRIEND IS STRAIGHT AHEAD!! HERE'S THE LOWDOWN!! ELECTRIC TORNADOES WILL BE AT DISPOSAL! SOUNDS STUPID, I KNOW!! BUT GET READY, 'CUZ THEY'LL PACK A LOT OF PUNCH!! ARE YOU TWO READY?!?!"

"READY!" Zero shouted back at him over the wind. He wanted to unsheathe his Saber...

But that would have made him feel incredibly stupid.

X looked over at Zero worriedly, feeling like he was being pushed into going bungee jumping. He answered Axl a minute later, not really believing the answer that flew from his mouth.

"I'M READY! LET'S GET IN THERE!"

--Hi, and welcome to the beginning of the first battle! Everyone, thank you so much for your support. You can always feel free to give me any feedback in anyway you see fit. I'm really happy about the way this is going.


	15. TornadoRequiem of the Heart

The trio rushed in after Tornado, and each of them were in the devilish clutches of excitement. However, each of them was affected by excitement in different ways.

X was worried about the outcome of the battle,

Zero was ready to see if he could still be the warrior he knew he was meant to be,

And Axl was ready to kick his ex-friend to the curve.

Lightning lit up the faces of the three Reploids, and it caused X's heart to drop about two hundred miles. He got a glimpse of Zero's current facial expression....and....

He could hear heavy breathing.

".....Zero...?"

As if on cue, a bolt of golden yellow light lit up the body of Tornado, and the cold winds became stronger. Malicious laughter pierced the air the way the venomous teeth of a cobra pierced a baby's skin, and Axl folded his arms scornfully.

"Tornado, you haven't changed a bit. You're still the psychotic freak I know and love! How's it been?!"

X looked at the former member of Red Alert, totally stunned by his attitude. Axl was nonchalant, perfectly calm and cool....but at the same time, he was fired up and ready for battle.

The young Reploid, the calm, cool and collected ex-Red Alert member, was being chased down by evil forces.....

He had enough guts to stand his own ground...

He left behind everything he had worked for.......

But he was still able to smile.

A part of X wished that he could swap personalities with the youngster.

How was he able to smile-

When he had so much on his shoulders?

Tornado turned around to face his ex-friend, and the two Maverick Hunters. He folded his own arms, and his face lit up with bitter intentions. Laughter faded away after two long minutes, and then he spoke to the one he had called a comrade.

"You haven't changed too much either, Axl! Or should I say, _The Black Tiger_?"

"Heh." The young one chuckled, putting an arm out in front of X and Zero....protecting them. X had his arms wrapped around Zero again, who was once again on his knees. The blue Maverick Hunter's eyes were on his protector, watching him worriedly....Axl's eyes were blazing with hatred....

But a smile was still on his face.

"I don't mind being called either one, but Axl will do just fine, thanks."

"I don't really understand why you were the only one with a fancy nickname anyway." Tornado said bitterly, narrowing his eyes at the young one the way a cowboy would at a duel. "Hmph. Our boss spoiled you SILLY, _pretty boy Axl_."

Okay, now things were starting to heat up.

"At first I was surprised when I heard about your betrayal, but then...well......I got over the shock and realized that you weren't anything but Red's PET. _A cute little puppy dog that always wagged his tail around the base_."

The smile left the tiger's face.

Provoking a tiger wasn't such a good idea-

But Tornado didn't know that.

**"You ungrateful little wretch. Red took you in off the cold, hard streets! He watched over you, cared for you, RAISED you!! And you turned your back on him!!! You turned on all of us!!! TRAITOR!!!"**

Tornado's last word echoed throughout the vast skies of black torment-

And it echoed through Axl's mind.

Traitor.

_**Traitor?**_

X continued to watch the young one. Serenity was no longer on his face. Infinite, relentless pain was now drenching his eyes...his heart. Immeasurable hatred burned in the young one's eyes like black fire......

"Axl....."

_**"X! Stay behind with Zero!! I'll take care of this bastard!!!"**_

"But-"

It was too late. Axl lunged out at Tornado, locked with the heart-rending requiem of pain. The young Reploid looked as if he was being controlled by his emotions....but.......he was still able to fight with the skill and grace of a young eagle. It only took X a few seconds to realize that Tornado was clearly outclassed-Axl was definitely faster-

And he was definitely smarter.

Tornado couldn't really even touch him.

The young one's emotions had caused him to become stronger.

The thunder became louder, the lightning became brighter....it was as if the world was watching. It was aware of Axl's emotions.....and it knew of Tornado's intentions....

Two minutes elapsed, but they felt like seconds.

A bright light blinded X, and then he saw the two Reploids break away from each other-they had gone into a headlock. Axl landed right next to his two friends, and Tornado landed a few feet away. Axl's eyes were once again filled with nonchalance, but this time, it was tainted by unending contempt.....

And sorrow.

_**"Heh heh. You DEFINITELY haven't changed a bit. You're still too slow."**_

"And you're still the spoiled little brat I know and love. Life sure is weird, isn't it?"

A part of Axl wanted to explode with rage-

But he ignored the temptation to do so.

"Now hold still, Tiger." Tornado's voice was filled evil.....and so were his eyes. "Let me take care of you-so Red can find a _**new pet**_ to play with."

In an instant, Axl raised one of his guns, changed something on it, and aimed right at Tornado's head. He had changed the mode of the gun-he had switched from plasma bullets to something else.

"You really want to die, don't you?"

The temptation was becoming stronger.

"I can help you with that."

"And so I guess it comes to this. Dear Axl, after everything we've been through, do you really want to kill me?"

A second later, an extremely bright beam of crystal blue light blinded the Black Tiger, and a loud scream from Tornado shot into his ears.

--Hey again, everyone. I'm always grateful to those that stop by. Like always, I am accepting any feedback, just as long as it's detailed. Concerns, questions and comments are always welcome. Your reviews are the type of things that make writers want to write even more. All of you are like my family! And to those of you that have stopped by for the first time-welcome aboard Rue Airlines. Please, relax and enjoy yourselves, all of you. A special thank you to Khilai, the revered author of 'Complexity of a Soul' (if you're really only 14 years old then you're going to hit nothing but gold mines in your life....with the talent you've got), and to the author of 'Why Won't Anyone Talk to me'-Uzu Chan.

In all three of our stories, Axl plays a huge part....but he's the one getting screwed all of the time! Hmm. Poor Axl. --Rue


	16. Symphony of Broken Hearts

As soon as the light faded, a confused Axl looked at the gun he had aimed at Tornado's head, and then he-

Realized that X was right at his side, holding up his Buster....staring at the place Tornado had been angrily.....

"Okay." Axl said to his new friend, putting a hand behind his head sheepishly. "So that was all you then, huh? Okay. Because I know I didn't pull anything."

X tossed a glare over to the young Reploid-

He was a little angry with him

Axl was suffering, and he was suffering badly....

_But he refused to show it._

He didn't want anyone to worry about him-

And that fact pissed X off to no end.

Before any one of them had a chance to speak, Tornado re-appeared in front of them, gasping for air.....holding his sides. Blood was streaming from his body....he could barely even breathe. After making several attempts to catch his breath, he looked at both X and Axl.....with lethal, eternally cold hatred.

**_"YOU....YOU.....NO-GOOD........DIRTY.......TRAITOR!!! YOU BETRAYED US ALL!!! I HOPE RED TEARS YOU APART, LIMB FROM LIMB!!!"_**

Lost within the greatest amount of wrath, Megaman X released a powerful beam of blue energy from his Buster...right along with a cry of immoderate pain. A long scream tore itself from Tornado's black soul......

And after a minute.....

There wasn't anything left of him.....

Silence reigned for five minutes.

Axl couldn't take his eyes off of the place Tornado had been, right before X eliminated him.

And he couldn't take his mind off of Tornado's words.

**_TRAITOR!!!_**

**_YOU BETRAYED US ALL!!!!_**

**_I HOPE RED TEARS YOU APART!!!_**

X gazed out into the endless realm of black thunder, lost within emotional turmoil. Axl was in a great amount of pain-

BUT HE DIDN'T WANT TO SAY ANYTHING.

The young Reploid wanted to keep everything to himself.....

And he still wanted to help Zero.

_Zero._

Zero was on the ground, unconscious....and barely even breathing.

And Axl had just been forced to put down someone he had once called a friend.

_**I hate this........I really am stuck, aren't I? Yessiree.**_

_**Stuck stuck stuck.**_

_**STUCK.**_

"So. Ready t'go?" Axl asked him cheerfully, wiping raindrops from his eyes-

Or were those tears?

X wanted to blow the young one's head off.

Axl noticed that Zero was out on the ground, gasped and rushed over to him frantically,COMPLETELY ignoring _everything _that had just occurred between him and Tornado.

X didn't know if he should hate Axl's guts or if he should be grateful for the young one's behavior.

But he still wanted to blow the young runaway's head clean off his shoulders.

"Zero! Zero! Can you hear me?!?! Come on, pal!!"

Nothing. Zero didn't even groan.

Nothing.

_"X!!"_ Axl called out to his new friend urgently. "We've gotta get back to base! Zero doesn't look too good!"

_**"I know that!"**_ The legendary Maverick Hunter snapped at him, infinitely irritated by the sound of the young one's voice. A second later, he activated his wrist communicator, which had been built inside of his Buster.

"Alia! X to Alia! Come in, Alia!"

He didn't have to wait long.

"X!! What's shakin'?!"

"We completed our first mission, and we're heading back for base NOW! Tell the Infirmary Units to have an emergency capsule ready!"

The Navigator became worried.

_"Are you guys all right?!?!"_

"Axl and I are unharmed, but Zero's condition isn't improving-the virus is becoming stronger, even as we speak!! I'll be there soon! X out!"

He turned off the communicator and stared at the ground for a moment, watching the raindrops strike it, and then...he spoke.

"I REALLY am stuck. No doubt about it."

--The news about Zero didn't send Alia's heart into endless bliss. After X ended their brief conversation, she slammed her head down on her tables once again, and released a loud, comical yet heart-rending sigh.

Time wasn't her friend.

It wasn't anyone's friend.

"This sucks......"

_**Great. I almost forgot. He asked to me contact the Infirmary.**_

She dialed in different commands for access to the Infirmary, and then-

"Infirmary Units, this is Maverick Hunter Navigator Alia speaking!! Brace yourselves for an emergency landing, ASAP!! Emergency landing!!"

--Gate heard the command of his old friend and hung his head sadly.

Emergency landing?

He knew what that meant, and so did everyone else.

Zero was coming in.....

And the virus.......the power of the virus.....

Was increasing.

Increasing.

That was a very bad word.

_Zero.........I really wish.....I could help......_

--"So, General? How do you think things will turn out?"

General Signas was inside of his dormitory, right along with Dr.Cain......his dear, dear friend. The General of the Maverick Hunters was pacing around nervously, slowly.....and Dr.Cain was sitting on his bed, wearing a warm, comforting smile. The great researcher was always there for Signas whenever he needed some relief....whenever he needed someone to guide him.

Someone that meant a lot to him was getting ready to die.

Another dear friend of his was going to be affected by that someone's death TREMENDOUSLY.

And their new guest was being chased around by evil forces.

"How do I think this is going to turn out? Well, let me answer that for you." Signas said to him firmly, trying to restrain the tears that were in his eyes. "We're going to end up losing Zero, X is going to end up being heart-broken, and Sigma is going to have everything he wants. Why did you ask such a question?"

"Well.....I dunno. I guess I just have a different view on things, that's all."

"Different view?" Signas stopped pacing around and turned on him fiercely. "Explain yourself. What do you mean by that?"

"It's no riddle, your honor. What you heard is exactly what I mean."

The general put a hand to his forehead. Cain loved beating around the bush, and he was used to that-

But now wasn't a good time for riddles.

"I'm not satisfied with that, Cain. Could you go a little further, please?"

"I think we're going to get a big surprise. Y'know, a little light."

"What, you think something's going to turn all of this around?"

The old man licked his lips-a sure sign of satisfaction.

"I don't want to say a lot, Signas.....but......my instincts are never wrong. I just....don't feel as lost as you guys do. There's something out there. I can feel it."

--An hour later, Megaman X emerged from the Infirmary....and found Axl right outside of the door, waiting for him....waiting for news. The Maverick Hunter was glad to see the young one's face.....

But at the same time, he wanted to rip it off with his own hands.

"So, what's up?" Axl asked him hopefully, hoping for a good answer.

X gave him an extremely hard glare, making him regret even asking that question.

"Jeez.....sorry. Just wanted to know."

_"How do you THINK he's doing?!"_ X snapped at him savagely, unable to stop the anger from rising in his heart. Ethereal drops of crystal fell from his eyes and onto the cold, lifeless floor...

_**"Nothing's getting any better!!! And how can you stand there and act as if nothing happened?!? How?!?!?! You were hurt back there, but you aren't even acknowledging that fact!!! You're not telling me anything simply because you don't want me to worry!!!"**_

Axl's face fell a million miles....right along with his heart. The Black Tiger looked at his new friend in shock.....unable to think of anything to say....

Tears were streaming from X's eyes...shimmering like stars.....

"I get it now. I understand everything perfectly. You took off from everyone you used to love, everyone you used to believe in......but......you don't want anyone to know that you're suffering. Everything Tornado said to you got you right in the heart, I know it did._ Don't try to deny anything_. You're the type of individual that hides EVERYTHING. You probably didn't even want **Red **to care about you. You want to help us...you want to help _Zero_......but you're keeping all of your problems to yourself. And I was _wrong_ to trust you. _**There is no hope, no cure, NOTHING!**_"

That was it.

X stormed off, not wanting to hear Axl's voice.....not even wanting to hear Zero's voice....

But his heart was bleeding...and it was bleeding....badly.

He left behind the young runaway........regretting everything he had just said....

Axl was unable to move. He was frozen.....frozen by confusion, sorrow......and pain.

"X........."

After two minutes......X was gone.

And he was alone. All alone.

And he still felt like he was out in the middle of the thunderstorm.

_X.........._

He hung his head.......lost in a world of thoughts......memories....

_**"I was wrong to trust you!!"**_

_**"There is no hope, no cure, NOTHING!"**_

Nothing.....

Dewdrops filled the young one's eyes.......and he fell to his knees....

It was very cold inside of the Maverick Hunter base, and very dark.

Loneliness, sadness and shock swept over him as one big tidal wave.

**_"NOTHING!!!!"_**

_**You think.......I lied to you.....?**_

_**I'm..............**_

_**Did I really...........**_

After an eternity, Axl balled his hands into fists, gritted his teeth, and got back on his feet.

_**I'll show you.**_

_**I promised you.....I would help out.**_

_**And I don't break promises.**_

--I know this was really long-sorry about that, but I couldn't stop writing. This is was pretty cool part for me to write! I wrote it while listening to 'Wandering' of FFX. I hope you guys liked it, and once again, I'm really sorry about the length of this chapter. Thank you very much for your support, everyone!


	17. Resounding Silence

Hey everyone! Welcome to the next chapter in 'Strings of Fate'. I will gladly respond to some of the reviews now.

PRIVATE: Sorry for the confusion! If you had shown this review to X, he would have told you that both of your guesses were correct. He regretted lashing out on Axl, but he was definitely lost in emotional turmoil. I know he isn't the type of person that would lose his cool and attack someone, but a lot was going on at the moment, and he lost the ability to stay calm about things. Zero's condition had gotten worse, and he couldn't believe that Axl was trying to play off everything that had happened between him and Tornado.

Uzu-Chan: NO, I am not angry! (smiles) I was worried about someone saying something about the battle, but I am not angry. I worried about describing the battle the entire time I wrote that chapter. I wanted to, but I didn't want to take attention away from the feelings of the characters...and I was afraid of making the battle suck, to tell you the truth. But I'll try harder-I'll describe the rest of the battles to the best of my abilities! Thank you for telling me that! and thanks for wanting to share X8 info-I've only been through the Easy mode....boohoo....

I'm glad the last chapter turned out beautifully! I'm sorry about making you cry, but that was my intended effect-I want everyone to feel the emotion, the passion (sounds like warped person playing w/crystal ball)!!! (gives tissue and laughs at Uzu-Chan's response to X yelling at Axl)

Aoi-Chan: (high-fives) YES, AXL'S VOICE-TOO CUTE!!! right on...and I know x was too puppyish in the beginning......i hate the beginning chapters now......i'm really sorry about the puppyness.......

Star Ninja: Thank you for the nice review. It made me really happy. as for the ending....i don't know......

--The main room of the Maverick Hunter base wasn't any different from the tower of Tornado Tonion. The atmosphere was filled with indescribable pain, and it held the very essence of intolerable tension-trying to breathe was very difficult because of the heavy sorrow flowing throughout the main room. The employees of the Maverick Hunter base were carrying out their duties silently and swiftly, listening in on any conversation that concerned X, Zero or their new guest. Apprehension was glued to the face of every worker, and not one of them dared to become involved in idle conversation. Aside from Dr.Cain, the beautiful Navigator Alia was the only one smiling at the moment-

But her smile wasn't a sincere one.

She was suffering just as much as everyone else, for several different reasons.

One of the reasons walked right up to her, looking as if he had just had his heart torn out. She looked away from her data tables and saw the very one that had walked up to her, and warm concern immediately entered her eyes.

"X! Hey....what is it? You look like you just had an argument with someone."

She was good. Really good.

The look on X's face was no different from the look of a neglected newborn puppy. He truly did look as if he had committed the worse crime imaginable....and he regretted committing it. For a moment he didn't know what to say-he could barely even think. Usually he was a calm, collected soldier, a soldier that carried out his duties perfectly.....a soldier that cared for his friends....

But just a few seconds ago he attacked someone that was suffering just as much as he was.

And a part of him felt happy because he had executed the attack. After all, Axl was keeping everything to himself, and X wanted his friends to be open with him. The young one refused to show any signs of depression-all he wanted do was SMILE. He shouldn't have trusted him.

There was no cure.

Hope didn't exist.

In other words, Axl had lied to him.

But he only wanted to help.

Was that so bad?

"X?"

"I didn't exactly have an argument. I unfairly attacked a friend......but......a part of me feels as if the attack I made was a justifiable attack."

"So......" Alia's face became a gentle, serene yet sorrowful painting of compassion. ".....now I know why Axl isn't here."

"Yes-he's the "friend" I'm having problems with."

A heavy sigh fell from the Hunter's mouth, and eternal despair transformed his eyes into pools of lost hope. He was definitely exhausted, but his next sentence told Alia that he had no desire to rest.

"Alia.......whatever. Can you just give me our newest mission data? Please?"

Alia felt as if her heart had been smashed into a million pieces.

Megaman X, the Maverick Hunter she loved madly....was on the verge of falling apart.

Trying to keep up a smile of incalculable sunlight, she gave him an answer....also trying to hold back her tears.

"Sure. But don't you want to wait for-"

"I'm here, ma'am."

Alia gasped, and her heart was crushed into ten million pieces when she saw the look on her new friend's face. X looked behind him and also fell into endless sadness-

It was Axl, all right. But the smile wasn't there. The energy, the enthusiasm....

It was all gone.

The young Reploid's eyes were on the floor, and his hands were balled into fists. He had a burning desire to speak to X, but the desire was being ignored-he couldn't get X's words out of his mind.....and so being around the legendary Hunter made him excruciatingly awkward and uneasy. X turned away from him after a second and scowled, sounding just like an annoyed Sergeant that was being forced to train an idiotic Ensign.

_**"Great. You're the last person I need to see right now."**_

"....."

Axl couldn't even look at Alia. He could barely even move, since his heart was still frozen.

Alia looked at them as if she were at a ping-pong match, waiting for one of them to say something......X closed his eyes......Axl didn't take his eyes off the ground......she was expecting a bomb to go off between them.....

But the only thing that came from both of them was-

Silence.

"All righty then." She said, bearing a resemblance to someone that was stuck right in the middle of a huge war between two people in a bar. Painful sorrow filled her eyes, and caused them to sparkle with the most beautiful radiance.....but she held back her tears.

"The two of you need to make your way over to the Deep Forest. We're detecting some seriously bad energy from the very core of the forest, and so it needs to be completely destroyed. When you arrive, you'll come across a Reploid called "Ruinsman". The area you will be exploring has several different areas covered in spikes, so you'll need to be extremely careful. The only way you can avoid taking damage is if you use the DNA core of Ruinsman. Axl, this is where you come in. You do have the ability to transform yourself into any Reploid once you have their DNA code, right?"

".............yeah."

With the elegance of an expert gunner, Axl unsheathed both of his guns, twirled them around his fingers for a minute, and then returned them to their hilts. It was an impressive display, but the young one didn't do it for attention-he had only done it to show that he was a little impatient. "Let's just get this show on the road." he told the both of them, keeping his eyes glued to the ground. A part of him really didn't want to go anywhere X, since he was in such a bad mood....but.........

"X....." Alia said to the Maverick Hunter softly, after tearing her eyes away from the heartbroken Axl. "This will be your first mission without Zero at your side. Are you okay?"

He gave her the same type of glare that had caused Axl's downfall.

"Not really, but we'll be fine."

He looked over at the young ex-Red Alert member and spoke to him in a tone that made him snap right to attention.

"Axl?"

"Yes sir?"

"Don't speak to me unless you have something to say about our mission. I don't want to become engaged in idle conversation. _**Do I make myself clear?"**_

His eyes lowered again....slowly and sadly. The tension between the two of them was beyond excruciating. He knew X cared about him....he knew X was feeling awful about everything that was going on.....but he also knew that X was lost within emotional confusion. He wanted to speak to him the way he had spoken to him just a few seconds ago....but at the moment...

X didn't want to have anything to do with him.

His chest burned with cold waves of tears.....and so did his eyes. His voice shook....he closed his eyes, trying to restrain the drops of moonlight that wanted to fall.....but he failed at holding them back miserably....

"Yes sir."

Without another word, X teleported from the base....leaving behind an empty void of cold, bitter hatred. Alia, who was also failing at holding her tears back, gently placed a hand on Axl's shoulder, emitting the warmth of a caring sister. She could almost feel the pain of the young Reploid.....it was just like her own pain.....

"Axl.......don't mind him. He's just in one of his moods. I don't know what he said to you.....but he feels badly about what happened. It'll be okay. No worries, all right?"

_"I was wrong to trust you!"_

"I can't toss aside what he said. You should have heard him."

Those were his last words to her.

He teleported from the base, following X into the Deep Forest.....and leaving behind a very sorrowful Alia.

--"This is terrible! Our Captain's health is decreasing rapidly-the speed of the virus continues to increase!"

"He has approximately 48 hours left before we lose him. He's trying to fight off the virus, but.....he's fighting a battle he knows he can't win."

"We're going to lose him for sure, I know we are........damn it, I feel awful...."--


	18. Resounding Unity

The Deep Forest was a calm, beautiful place....it was certainly a lot calmer than the tower Tornado had inhabited. Warm golden sunlight struck the emerald green leaves of the trees....hundreds of different flowers were sprinkled all over the soft grounds of the area....and small flocks of birds were enjoying the pleasant weather. It was a paradise of halcyon beauty....

Unfortunately, the beauty was tainted by evil.

It was also tainted by the pain flowing between two hearts.

Megaman X and Axl arrived inside of the forest silently, and scanned their surroundings. The forest was a very quiet place....but, for the both of them, it was too quiet....

Was it because there was a low amount of activity, or was it because of the painful silence flowing between the two of them?

The beauty of the breathtaking paradise went by completely ignored. Both Reploids were feeling immoderately uneasy.......X felt like a slave-driver dragging along a beaten down horse......

And Axl felt like an unwanted piece of garbage.

"All right. Be on the lookout for the Ruinsman Alia warned us about. We need to get to our enemy as soon as possible, before any trouble begins. Are you ready?"

"Yes sir." Axl felt like an idiotic piece of garbage right after those words left his mouth. He was no different from a robot now-a robot with a very bad program. Those words were the only ones he could say to the Maverick Hunter-if he said anything else, even the word 'hi', he could have his life snuffed out in a hot second.

So there wasn't anything else for him to say. He was just going to have to stomach the whole robot routine.

The two of them made their way through the tranquil forest silently. Axl didn't look at X, and X didn't look at Axl-both of them felt absolutely HORRIBLE about the way things were going. The silence was beyond painful, and Zero's absence didn't make things easier. X distracted himself by scanning the elements of the environment with a tool that had been equipped inside of Buster-research WAS a part of his job, after all....

After ten years (or was it just ten minutes that had passed?), both of them came upon the Reploid Alia had informed them of. With the greatest degree of reluctance, Axl took away the reploid's DNA code and transformed.......

The disguise helped things out a little. At least he didn't have to be around X as himself.

Unfortunately, the disguise was only a temporary one.

He couldn't wear it forever.

--Twenty minutes passed....but those minutes had felt like decades. The sunshine had disappeared-silver clouds were in the sky, watching over the two silent Reploids that were heading right for their next enemy. Axl was lagging behind X, who still seemed to be incredibly upset with him-to the young Reploid, the twenty minutes had felt like decades, but to X, time meant nothing.

Time didn't exist.

Two more minutes elapsed between them, and X abruptly fell to his knees and darted behind a large group of ferns, causing Axl to become confused. The Maverick Hunter slowly looked out from behind the bright green ferns, looking like a true soldier spying on an enemy. He spoke to the young Reploid a moment later, eliminating the confusion that had wrapped itself around the young one's eyes.

"Okay. Our enemy is just up ahead. My scanner's telling me that he goes by the name of Soldier Stonekong. Another one of your ex-friends, I assume?"

Ten thousand darts shot right into Axl's heart. X's tone wasn't a pleasant one.

"Yeah.....he's a member of Red Alert."

_I hope he doesn't bash on me the way Tonion did. I don't need things to become even worse._

The young one placed a hand on his forehead, closed his eyes and sighed.

"Jeez......."

**_"Soldier Stonekong, stop right there!"_**

Axl's eyes flew right open-X had left him behind.

_Whatever. Why don't I just take one of my trusty pals here and shoot myself right between the eyes? That would probably make him happy._

_But.....I know he's really messed up about Zero........_

"I must ask you one thing-" X told his enemy, who wasn't even facing him at the moment-at the center of Stonekong's attention was some type of statue.....

"Why are you doing this?!?! Don't you understand that you're being led into a trap?! The path you have chosen is the wrong path to take. Put aside your ways of destruction!"

Those words caused Axl to narrow his eyes at X in confusion and disbelief.

Stonekong turned to face him, after he destroyed the statue that had gained so much of his attention. With the biggest grin on his face, he threw his hands in the air and laughed triumphantly, as if he had already won the upcoming battle. Putting aside his current feelings about the situation he was in with X, Axl ran up to his friend's side and unsheathed his guns. Both of his guns clicked-

He had switched from taser mode to laser mode.

_(A/N: An itty bitty tribute to Uzu-Chan. Axl isn't going to shoot X, though. I'm sorry, but it's for Stonekong.)_

"Ha!!" Stonekong roared at the two of them, showing them how proud he was of his domain....and everything he believed in. "Why don't the two of you put down your ways and join US instead?!?! What do you think power is about?! It's about imposing one's will on another soul!"

"No it's not. True power comes from your friends. When you have friends you can count on....you've got the best weapon at your disposal."

X gasped, lowered his Buster and looked over at Axl. The young one winked at him, surprising him even more.

The former member of Red Alert's normal behavior was returning.

And that fact made X smile on in the inside.

With one of his nonchalant smiles, Axl aimed one of his guns at Stonekong's forehead. "What you're doing is all off." the young one told him, feeling every bit of his confidence return. And speaking again felt great-he wasn't used to long periods of uneasy silence. "Red Alert isn't all about power-well, not fake power, anyway. It's all about the real stuff-you know, justice, virtuosity....the real deal. You guys are all being lead astray, and so things have changed, but my beliefs haven't changed. The ideals of Red Alert haven't changed. You guys are just being torn down."

All of that made X smile......visibly. Axl tossed him another wink.

"Let me fix you up with a hearty dose of pain, old pal-Axl style!"

With that, the younger Reploid fired both of his guns simultaneously at his enemy, but Stonekong dodged the first attack swiftly and went straight for X, screaming at the top of his lungs-

_"TAKE THIS, MAVERICK HUNTER!"_

Half a second later he was shot by twenty five laser balls.

Axl grinned at him victoriously, and blew on one of his guns. "How d'ya like THAT? Laser cannon mode. Didn't know I could do that, didja?"

"You're something else, Axl." X told his friend warmly, in between laughter. Axl's grin became even brighter.

"I know."

The battle continued between the three of them. X followed Stonekong's moves flawlessly, but he, like Tornado, was definitely outclassed by the enthusiastic, mettlesome Axl. The young Reploid was like a kid at a birthday party-he used every available mode on his gun to attack his former ally. He enjoyed himself when Stonekong launched himself into the air for an aerial attack-none of his aerial attacks succeeded, since he was also struck down by the young companion of Megaman X. At one point X stood back and observed the two of them, unable to hold back a huge smile.

_Yeah. He's definitely something else._

Ten minutes passed. The ground beneath X and his friend rose up abruptly-Stonekong's sudden move surprised the both of them, but Axl wasn't affected by shock for very long. The two soldiers dodged the tumultuous attack successfully.....but then, something X wasn't expecting to happen occurred. Axl went right behind Stonekong and called out to him.

"X! Let's double team him, okay?! You an'me!"

"Roger!"

A really big smile lit up X's face, and he brandished his Buster. Axl's enthusiasm was rubbing off on him. "Ready to fire!" he called out to his partner, and received a thumbs-up.

What followed was a beautiful display of unity and eternal friendship.

With his guns still in laser cannon mode, Axl fired away at Stonekong....and X continuously fired his X-Buster. The light of their energy combined.....and a heavenly aura of blue light spread throughout the entire forest, purifying it.....cleansing the evil. After a few minutes....

There wasn't anything left of their enemy.

Just silence.

Axl looked at X and put away his guns. X lowered his Buster and smiled at Axl, his face practically shimmering with relief. The tension between the two of them had died off, but X was still feeling awful about the way he had treated his dear friend.

_"YEAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!! STRIKE ANOTHER VICTORY FOR US!!! WOO-HOOO!"_

X frowned at Axl playfully, not really used to being around someone that was totally enthusiastic about a mission. "We sure showed him, didn't we?!?!" Axl continued, twirling his guns around his fingers. "We sure did! I'll show the rest of 'em too! Nobody screws up what Red Alert's all about! Hahahahaha!"

"Cut it out before you accidentally fire at me!" X laughed at his dear friend, tears flowing down his face. "Put those away! I need to say something to you!"

Right here the young Reploid put on the most adorable facial expression-it reminded X of a really, really cute little puppy.

"What do you wanna say?"

X smiled at him through sheets of beauteous, sparkling mist. The smile was infinitely warm, just like the wings of an angel.

"I'm sorry.....about the way I treated you. I hope you can forgive me for the way I acted. I had no right to take out my frustrations on you, and you know something else? I know you don't want to share your burden with others......but I really don't want you to be alone. I don't want you to suffer. Please, if you need someone to talk to.........you can talk to me. I'm here for you, and I'll always be here for you. Understand?"

Axl's smile was a smile that defied all types of description. Drops of crystallized starlight entered his eyes......and warmth flooded throughout his whole body. He felt like was soaring through the warmest ocean of pure sunlight. "Understood, sir." he replied, no longer feeling like a lifeless drone. He happily gave X a salute, feeling relief flood his whole body in a way he couldn't have imagined before.

"Understood!"

X heard a flock of birds take spread their wings and fly right over their heads. The smile stayed on his face as he began to contact Alia-

But she got to him first.

Axl watched him worriedly and tuned in. Something was definitely up.

_"X! Have the two of you completed your mission yet?!"_

"Yes we have-Stonekong's activities have come to an end. I was just about to contact you. Axl and I are in perfect condition, so there's no need to contact the Infirmary."

She sounded as if a time bomb had been planted inside of the base a few seconds ago.

"X, speaking of the Infirmary......it's about Zero."

X exchanged fearful glances with Axl, then picked up the conversation.

"What about him? Is he all right?!"

"I'm afraid not........X.......I'm sorry........but......"

The hearts of Axl and X fell with each other into a blistering pit of indescribable despair.

_What was she going to say?_

"...........he only has two days left to live. I'm so sorry, X. Gate informed me of this just a few seconds ago. I'm so sorry."

She eliminated the connection a second later.....since it was too painful to continue......

X looked at Axl......immersed in immeasurable pain and unbreakable sorrow.

He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

He couldn't.........believe anything he had just heard.......

Axl became worried, but for a different reason. He knew time wasn't on his side-it was laughing at him, mocking him........he looked at X in the eyes, his own eyes filled with the strongest degree of determination. His voice was filled with that same determination.....

"X, listen to me. I said this to you before, and I'll say it again. There is a way to cure him-and I'm going to find out what that "way" is. Trust me on this."

X looked at him with the eyes of a lost, heartbroken puppy.......he loved Zero so much.....and he treasured his friendship......but.......

"I'm asking you to have faith in me. I swear to you, I WILL find the cure."

That was all he said before he teleported back into the Maverick Hunter base.

--Dr.Cain was in his own dormitory, thinking about the current events.....and the latest update on Zero. Time was running short....for everyone. The Maverick Hunter of Crimson Fire wasn't conscious at the moment, so no one could speak to him.....yet......and everyone was so silent, yet frantic......

_No siree, my instincts are rarely ever wrong....._

_But....there is a first time for on.....hurry up, will ya?"--_

I hope I did an okay job on the battle. If not, please tell me, and I will try harder next time! I promise! Thank you, everyone!


	19. Soul Shattering Nightmare

Megaman X and Axl re-entered the Maverick Hunter base and immediately realized that the anxiety swarming throughout the base had reached a chaotic level. The latest news concerning Zero had spread throughout the base like a savage bolt of lightning-not a single Reploid in the base could remain calm.

Not a single Reploid could think straight.

And breathing was definitely a hard task.

The tension in the air was thick-severely thick.

Every single Reploid in the base was suffocating.

X and his dear friend entered the main room of the base, being controlled by the very emotion called "fear", which was at an extremely high level. Axl was lost in a world of thought-he knew he had to act fast, and the current atmosphere wasn't making anything easier on him. He stayed silent as he followed X, ready to comfort his new friend.....ready to do whatever it took to eliminate the pain flowing throughout the base. He examined his environment swiftly-the Reploids around him were frantic-silent, but frantic. Some of them were murmuring amongst themselves about the latest news.

The atmosphere definitely wasn't a pleasant atmosphere.

"Alia!" X said his Navigator when he and Axl reached her, his face drenched in nervousness. He had the aura of a very nervous mother waiting for her son to emerge from ICU-his eyes were bright with fear, and his voice was a pure, gentle song of apprehension. "Tell me-have you received any news about Red or Sigma?! What of Axl's former allies?! Are they causing any trouble at this moment?"

Alia, who was shocked by X's mood change, answered him to the best of her ability. Just a second ago he acted as if the whole world had blown up on him.......and now he was as frantic as everyone else was.

"All activity seems to have ceased for the moment! Your swift victories have caused a pause in their plans-but X?! I have heard that Zero is unconscious-you won't be able to speak to him!"

That only made things worse. X put a hand to his forehead and struggle to think for a moment, and then he spoke to her again. His voice was soft, but it was certainly very hard to listen to. He was terribly upset....so trying to listen to him was like trying to listen to a dog whimper.

"Alia, stay on it. You know how Mavericks are-they can spring out at any given moment. I'm heading for the Infirmary."

He turned to Axl, who looked like he was planning something.

"Axl, would you like to accompany me?"

The young one was torn between two options for a few seconds. He wanted to go with X, so he could comfort him just in case he needed comforting......

But he had a puzzle to solve.

And the pieces weren't going to put THEMSELVES together.

"Nah, no thanks, X. I think I'll take a breather. If you need me, I'll be in the observatory. Check ya later."

--"Yes..........I can almost taste it.....the sweet taste of victory. It's....beyond amazing. Don't you think so, my dear friend?"

In the fashion of a true servant, Red was waiting on Sigma hand and foot-the leader of the Red Alert organization was inside of his own home base, catering to the Maverick's every need. Serving someone else in his own home should have disgusted him, and normally it would have............

But things had changed.

The homebase of the Red Alert organization had once been a proud, grand place of revered beauty....but it was no longer a place of great strength and awe-inspiring pride. Thanks to the one he now called "Master", it looked and felt like a funhouse. Strange, yet true-Sigma had a deeply disturbing personality, and an even more disturbing voice. He had the behavior of a drunken clown......but the Maverick was definitely a sadistic, demonic dragon with black scales and red eyes. He loved the very thought of inflicting pain on his "friends"........

And at the moment he was concocting a very big scheme.

He caused Red to think of a witch stirring her brew inside of a cauldron.

"Yes.....it's very sweet......very sweet indeed. I've never been happier."

Sigma whirled around on Red in a flash, surprising the leader of Red Alert.

His master was definitely unpredictable...in a very, VERY bad way.

"Now.......you're going to give me what I want, is that right?"

It was hard to keep the shock out of his eyes, but somehow, Red managed to pull it off.

"I can only give you what you're asking for if Axl cooperates with me. If he doesn't-"

"Well, you can't KILL him. That wouldn't do us any good, now would it? We can't afford to be childish now."

"I won't kill him if he refuses to hand over anything." Red assured him. "I'll just use other methods to get what I need from him."

"So, you're going to torment him? How fun. But can't I do it?! Come on. It'll be fun to watch."

Sigma's tone and facial expression caused a million blades of ice to shoot up Red's spine.

The Maverick definitely wasn't someone to trifle with. The very mention of the word "pain" thrilled him.

"Don't worry about anything. I'll take care of him. Just wait and see. I'll have the DNA codes of X and Zero in no time."

His partner-in-crime licked his lips while rubbing his hands together.....unbelievably delighted. Red starlight flashed in his eyes, caused the evil light around his heart to come forth. The malevolent light consumed Red's soul......and it dragged the Red Alert leader to a level he thought he would never fall to. Cold, dark laughter filled the Red Alert base as Sigma continued to rub his hands together......

"You're all in for a ride......a REALLY big ride. I hope you enjoy yourselves....especially YOU, Zero....."

--Chaos exploded at a mind-boggling rate inside of the Maverick Hunter base right after X and Axl left Alia's side.

Not a single Reploid could have predicted the events that followed.

An emergency siren was activated, and the high-pitched song of urgency filled the entire base in seconds. A crimson red light united with the siren, causing everyone inside of the base to panic-

An explosion had gone off right inside of the Infirmary.--

Megaman X had made it half way to the Infirmary right before the explosion had occurred. The sound of the enormous bomb going off inside of the Infirmary reached his ears......and dragged his heart into excruciating shock.

It was as if he was trapped within a nightmare.

The red light.....the soul-shattering siren.....the explosion.......

It was all just a big......really....big.....nightmare..........

His heart stopped cold, and his eyes became solid pools of eternal disbelief.....of eternal pain.

_No. That didn't happen._

"Someone, please tell me that didn't happen......"

_Zero........Zero, no.....please be all right......_.......

--"Alia! Report-what happened?!?!"

Alia, after being assaulted with questions from X, now had to report to General Signas, who had heard the explosion but didn't know where it occurred, since he was inside of his dormitory conducting research. Swiftly she pulled up the data on the Maverick Hunter base....and found out that the bomb had gone off inside of the Infirmary.

"The Infirmary has just received heavy damage, sir! It looks like someone snuck in and placed a bomb inside of it, sir!"—

The Infirmary of the Maverick Hunter base was engulfed in flames......and allof the Infirmary workers on the ground, unconscious..........Gate was sprawled out on the floor, barely conscious....he had only suffered a minor injury, but his heart had stopped because of the fatal emotions that had entered his body......his whole body was frozen by fear.....and disbelief.....

_"No.....Zero.....this can't be......"_

Through half-opened eyes.....he looked at the sleeping Maverick Hunter....who was still inside of the analyses tube....

But the tube was surrounded by flames.

Crimson red flames.

"No......."

The very sight of Zero's body being engulfed in flames frightened the poor researcher greatly-his body was racked by lethal sobs.....and he could barely even see through the tears that were falling from his eyes......

"Zero.......Zero....no......"

Darkness overwhelmed him.....before he had a chance.....to see if he could help his friend.

--"**_Get an emergency unit inside of the Infirmary!!! Reboot all systems! We've got to keep Zero with us!!!"_**

**_"Yes, General!!"--_**

The Black Tiger left the Observatory as soon as chaos had erupted inside of the base, and it only took him a second to find out what was going on. He dashed throughout the base, unable to believe what was going........

He needed to find X. Fast.

_Hold on, buddy....I'm coming.......just hold on......_

--He came up on his dear friend in no more than a few minutes, and his heart jolted violently when he saw the Maverick Hunter on the ground, unable to move. A gasp tore itself from the young one's mouth, and he made his way through crowds of Reploids over to the one that had come to mean so much to him....

"X!!! Are you all right?!?!"

X looked into the face of his friend, but he was absorbed in a world of high-pitched, furious fire....the flames of sorrow were spreading throughout his eyes the way a wildfire spread throughout a forest......

"Axl.....the Infirmary.....it's.....taken.....heavy damage.........Zero's in there...."

The eyes of the young Reploid were beyond amazing. They were bright with the most powerful amount of bravery.....and his calm, warm voice was a strong beam of light....a strong beam of guidance......

"X. Don't worry-everything's gonna be fine. It's gonna be okay. Zero's gonna be fine. Trust me."

He patted the Maverick Hunter on the back, acting as if he was just going to take a stroll to the nearest park.....but his determination and bravery were phenomenal........

_Axl......._

The young one took off in the direction of the Infirmary without saying another word.....

_Zero, just.......hold on.......I'll take care of everything...._


	20. Bolts of the Tiger's Fire

Everyone, hello! Once again I'd like to thank everyone for their support-my work is having the effect I hoped it would have! (bows) I have a title for my X8 novelization-I think I'll call it 'Until the End of Eternity'! Sounds nice, huh?!?! (smiles)

Uzu-Chan: _Thank you so much for being such an enthusiastic fan!_ Your words always make me happy. And you know what? I think you're psychic….you'll find out why when you read this chapter, mon ami. (hugs) BIG HUG!! Millions of thanks to you.

Prjct.War: The duel between Axl and Tornado reminded you of Kenshin? Now that was a pretty deep compliment. I didn't think I did that well on it! Thank you very muchies! I'm glad you liked it a lot.

PRIVATE: My secret?!?!!??! (whispers) Well, you know what? I update whenever I can! And I like to update a lot because I know my story makes people happy! I gots such wonderful friendses!! I'm sorry if I'm dishing out too much, but I get really excited when I write this! Sheesh, I'm gonna be awful when I actually have a real story published out in the big world, huh?!

To the Esteemed Khilai: Thanks a lot for the feedback on my battle. I'm glad you liked it, and I can't believe you like the way I portray the characters when your story is blowing ME out of the water. (burns Red's corpse over a huge wildfire and cheers with her friends excitedly) You're doing a wonderful job! And you know what you said about 'there wouldn't be too many fanfics if we had to model our stories after the real thing?' Right on. I totally agree with you!

--The young Reploid vanished into a world of rapid, relentless anticipation and made his way to the Maverick Hunter Infirmary, trying to figure out how a bomb could have gotten inside of the Infirmary…….

There was no way anyone could have known….about Zero…..

The sounds of chaos filled his ears, but he became oblivious to them as he tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together. The faces of frightened Reploids met his eyes…..and he could almost hear the heartbeats of everyone he came across….

How did a bomb get inside of the Infirmary?

For a moment his thoughts went back to X. Leaving him behind wasn't a very good idea-but he had to check out what was going on. And hopefully X decided to make contact with General Signas…..

_Sheesh….I hope he's okay. I hope Zero's okay_.—

Six minutes elapsed.

The Black Tiger stopped the second his feet touched the floor of the Infirmary, and shock consumed his entire body. His eyes widened and shimmered with the ethereal yet deadly fires of scorn…and his heart stopped for what felt like a year.

"Oh no…."

He examined his surroundings and found nothing that pleased him. The Infirmary was a black painting filled with nothing but an ocean of crimson red flames……..the Infirmary workers were on the floor, unconscious….Gate was on the floor, unconscious……and…..

"Well. Hello there, good friend. How have you been? Long time no see."

Axl's youthful, shimmering eyes lit up with a massive, deadly amount of hatred. He recognized the speaker's voice, and the voice didn't belong to a friend. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.......

The tiger was about to become very angry.

Again.

Apparently, this guy didn't know too much about tigers either.

"Snipe. How nice to see you again." The young Reploid's tone would have caused a werewolf to keel over and die from fright. "Tell me-how did you get in here?"

"Easy. Let me show you!"

The speaker had been hiding in the shadows of the flames…..he stepped out and approached his ex-ally, wearing a wicked, hateful smile. The young Reploid gasped when he emerged from the shadows-

He had the voice of Snipe Anteater-

But he had the appearance of an Infirmary worker.

"Disguises are a lot of fun, don't you think?" Snipe asked him, enjoying the moment.

His fun wasn't going to last long.

The ex-Red Alert member whipped out both of his guns and aimed them right at Snipe's forehead, smiling……

But his smile would have made a black, red-eyed dragon whimper.

"Sorry, pal, but your time here is up."

Surprisingly, Snipe didn't back down. The triumphant look on his face stayed put.

But why?

"Heh heh. Don't tell me you forgot-I was the sneaky one, remember? Look at what I've got behind me!"

A moment later Axl's heart dropped a hundred miles.

Another Maverick-it looked like one of Sigma's henchmen-stepped out from behind Snipe, carrying…..

**_Zero._**

_What?!?!_

Axl's eyes darted over to the analyses tube-

It was broken……

And, of course, EMPTY.

"Zero!"

"That's right!" Snipe said happily, savoring the sweet taste of victory.

He thought he was at the top of the game-

But he was actually making his own grave.

Axl didn't lower either one of his guns an inch.

"I've got the poor widdle Maverick Hunter RIGHT HERE. So, here's how it's gonna go. You shoot me, and the Hunter gets it. Capeesh?"

His words didn't have the desired effect.

The tiger lowered his head……and was silent for a minute. The silence caused Snipe's smile to become even brighter-

He had won.

There weren't any openings…..any options….

Right?

The silence ended.

And so did Snipe's little celebration.

The young Reploid, at first, began to snicker, sounding as if he was at a really bad circus show……

He actually WAS at a really bad circus show.

The snickering developed into laughter a minute later, but all of it confused Snipe.

Why on Earth was he laughing?

A flash of red light went off in Axl's eyes-

And the look of triumph on Snipe's face shattered.

Before the tiger made his attack, he said these words.

"Yep. I understand."

At the speed of light, he aimed one of his guns at the head of the Maverick holding Zero with an incredible display of style, and then dodged Snipe's furious attack and fired both of his guns at the Red Alert member.

Sigma's henchman was dead-

And Snipe?

He wasn't any different from a clown that had just lots all of his dignity.

Smiling with the greatest amount of satisfaction, Axl blew off both of his guns, winked at the wounded Snipe Anteater, and chuckled.

"Looks like I came out on top. Don't even think about touching Zero-unless you want to lose both of your eyes too."

Axl's threat made Snipe look at both of his hands. Both of them were completely damaged-they were almost ready to fall off. He looked back up at the young Reploid, fuming with fury-

_**"Disgusting little wretch! How could you?!"**_

"It was easy. Look, all I did was-"

_**"Enough! I've had it up to high heaven with you! And I once called you my friend?!?! Hah!"**_

Unable to remove his eyes from his hands, Snipe drifted back into the darkness of the crimson red flames….his eyes glowing with an aura of savage hatred. His voice wasn't any different-it bore a great resemblance to the voice of a murderer.

"You'll see me again. I swear you will. Just wait, all right? We'll have another party, soon."

The Red Alert member vanished in no more than a second. The young Reploid dropped both of his guns, immediately fell to his knees, untangled Zero from the arms of the dead Maverick, and immediately started speaking to him, his heart racing with fear.

_**"Zero! Zero!! Zero, can y'hear me?!?! Come on, wake up!! Tell me you're still in there!"**_

Nothing.

The Maverick Hunter was……he wasn't any different from…..

The capsule he had been inside was the only thing keeping him alive.

Being cut off from life support…..wasn't a very good thing…..

_**"Damn it-Zero!!!!!!"**_ Axl RARELY ever cursed, but there was a first time for everything….and now was a really good time to be upset. **_"Zero!!!!"_**

He took a second to scan his surroundings once again. There wasn't anything available. Everything in the infirmary had suffered serious damage….

**And all of the workers were still unconscious.**

He knew he could figure something out, but there just wasn't enough time……

There wasn't any time at all….

_**"Zero!!!! Come on, dammit! Answer me!!!"**_

_Crap!!!!_

The Maverick Hunter was as lifeless as a rag doll. He wasn't breathing-

He wasn't doing anything.

**_"Damn it!!! Zero, talk to me!!!"_**

_He's….in there. I know he is. He just…..needs some big time help. Like, NOW._

--My college resumed their classes today, but I'll try to update whenever I can! So no worries, and thanks again! But now none of you have to worry about being assaulted by twenty million chapters all at one time! And thanks again!


	21. Ocean Waves of Light

Hi again, everyone! Nice to see everyone! Ladies and gentlemen, here is the next chapter of (drumroll) 'Strings of Fate'! Everyone, I'm really glad you're enjoying my story!! Now, I shall take the time to respond to some more of my reviews! (bows amidst the glimmer of confetti)

(continues to burn Red's body and laughs) Heh heh heh heh….BURN BABY BURN!!!! (the entire world cheers her on) Sorry, but the first two chapters of the Esteemed Khilai's story are REALLY disturbing….Red seriously needs to go and ()($&-sorry about that!! Heh heh…………….YES!!!! hahahahahahahahaha (evil, triumphant laughter)

Star Ninja: Hi! Thank you so much for your enthusiastic support! It's reviews like yours that make me continue this project. Yes, time is just as evil as Sigma….probably even more evil than Sigma….I had a BOAT load of free time before my college classes kicked in, but I'll try to update WHENEVER I can. Thank you so much! (hugs)

Prjct.War: Greetings, friend! Thankies so much for stopping by again! Yes, I think about the beginnings of this project all of the time….I look back on my first couple of chapters…and I remember the attitude I had back then too. I saw that I only had a couple of reviews……and I thought to myself, 'I'm only going to continue this if I get a lot of reviews'. Well, later on I thought-what the heck. I'll keep going with it, just because I love this story so much! And now I had a lot of really wonderful fans! I'm glad I didn't give up!! Btw, there was a cartoon with Axl in it?!?! X and Zero too?!?! When did this happen?!?!? I don't know anything……..(cries)

PRIVATE: Hiya! Unfortunately, I no longer have a load of free time on my hands-I'm a little bummed out by that, but I won't give up! I love this project too much to give up on it! No worries for anyone. It's okay if you don't have a lot of free time too. I understand-we 'no free time' people have to stick together, through thick and thin.

To The Revered Khilai: Thank you very much for gracing with your story. Seriously, I cannot thank you enough. I can't thank you enough for reviewing my story either. What an honor it is to have you as one of my fans. Thank you, very much. And I'm glad I did a good job on the action scene! I tried really hard on it-and I love working on Axl's parts! Heehee……..speaking of Axl…….(throws Red's ashes into the sea)….he no longer has to worry about anything. It's too bad about Red, though….so sad……(not)

--An emergency team rushed into the Infirmary, being swept up in the rage of tumultuous anguish. The eyes of the seven team members were immediately absorbed in the destruction that had occurred-

The crimson red flames were slowly working their evil magic.

The flames were the only sources of light…..

Unfortunately, they weren't very pretty sources of light-

Because they were also the sources of relentless chaos and annihilation.

The hearts of the emergency team unified with each other……

And they fell under the iron fist known as-

Fear.

Cold, merciless fear.

Each and everyone one of them became slaves, captives of fear-

And they were being laughed at by the very tyrant called "pain".

Only one team member was able to speak. The others were paralyzed by massive shock, and so he gathered up enough strength to speak for his group. He was a Reploid with short, sapphire blue hair, and light blue eyes. At the moment, his eyes were bright stars of infinite anxiety, and his voice…..

His voice made it clear to everyone that his heart was being stabbed by a countless amount of daggers.

_"Young Axl! What happened here?!?! Who is responsible for this?!?!"_

Axl had his arms wrapped around the lifeless body of Zero, one of the greatest Maverick Hunters of all time….and a very dear friend. The young tiger looked like a great wolf protecting a member of his tribe….

A wounded member of his tribe.

The facial expression of the Black Tiger completely crushed the hearts of the team, but it also caused a colossal amount of energy to shoot through their veins. The look on Axl's face told them that Zero needed help…

And he needed it badly.

"A member of Red Alert-Snipe Anteater-caused this." The young one said, barely able to breathe.

A part of him wanted to just break down because of the fiery chaos that surrounded him…

And having Zero's body in his arms didn't make things any easier…

But the optimism that always came so naturally to him remained within his soul.

The voice of the young tiger was bold, firm….and an awe-inspiring song of wondrous bravery. To the untrained eye, he looked just like any other energetic, hyperactive kid-

And he also sounded like just another hyperactive kid-

But to the ones that had at least half a brain could obviously see that Axl was more than just a small fry.

"Hey guys. Zero's gotta get help FAST. I mean, seriously. There's gotta be somethin' you can do around here. If he doesn't get help soon, he'll die."

That last word didn't leave behind a very good taste, but it had to be said.

The current situation called for words that left behind bad tastes.

The team immediately scrambled, not really wanting to waste time. Not even a second could be wasted-the look on Axl's face and his facial expression told them that if they wasted a second-

They would end up regretting it for the rest of their lives.

Six of them dashed throughout the Infirmary, and the remaining team member (who was evidently the captain) stayed behind to deliver orders. The workers performed their tasks swiftly-

They all knew that time wasn't an ally.

Axl held onto Zero, wondering about X's current location….wondering if the General was all right…..

Wondering…….

Wondering about everyone…..

But himself.

The orders of the team captain….the song of the flames…everything faded away into the background after several long minutes, which really felt like years. Axl's heart silently pounded upon the waterfalls of lethal tension…….with every passing second, the waterfalls became stronger…..the sound of rushing water filled the young's one heart…..and consumed his entire soul…….

He waited and waited with closed eyes…..he waited for someone to bring some sort of relief….some sort of light……

But the water seemed to be ever flowing.

Everything around him faded away. The sounds, the faces……the only thing on his mind……the only PERSON on his mind……was…..

Zero.

Two words repeated themselves in the young one's mind………

_Wake up._

_Wake up._

_Wake up._

Three eternities went by. Axl's heart jolted painfully, but he ignored the reason for the sudden jolt.

_Wake up._

_Zero, wake up._

Before he could react, Zero was taken from the young Reploid's arms-the scene would have caused a passing stranger to think of a young cub being taken from a mother's shield. The eyes of the young tiger opened, and he looked up at the one that had taken Zero away-

But he received in response.

"All right, men! We're going to have to boot up the emergency systems!! Hurry! Let's get a move on-our Maverick Hunter isn't going wait all eternity!! Move move move move!! Emilio, Razor-see to the Infirmary workers! Care for them while the rest of us take care of Captain Zero!"

All Axl could do was sit.

Sit.

The young Reploid was completely frozen.

Even though Zero was no longer in his arms….he wouldn't stop repeating those words….

_Wake up._

He truly was like a mother that had just been separated from her cub. The emotions, the facial expression…..they were one and the same. He looked deeply worried….

He looked like someone that was about to lose everything he had.

His heart was swiftly pounding….it was trying to escape from his chest……and the pounding was excruciating.

His eyes were beautiful solid pools of eternal devotion….but at the same time, they were filled with everyone's best friend-

Tension.

_Wake up._

The workers rushed off into the shadows of the fire, determined to cleanse the Infirmary of death's odor…..determined to heal the ones they had been placed in charge of….

The team captain was at the front, carrying Zero and shouting out orders to his teammates.

_Wake up._

A few minutes passed….

Before Zero opened his eyes….

And said one name.

"Axl."

Eternal pain wracked the body of the Maverick Hunter. Breathing was almost impossible…he couldn't see the faces of the workers…….he couldn't see the shadows of the flames…..he couldn't hear the voices of the workers….

But he could hear one voice.

And that one voice belonged to the one that had made a promise.

The voice was soft and gentle, like the waves of sunlight after the darkest storm….the voice comforted him, wrapped around his heart the way a mother's arms would wrap around the body of a child…….and it echoed in his mind……resembling the way a gentle ocean wave embraced the shore….

_Don't worry. Everything's gonna be okay. You're gonna be fine. I promise._

Zero closed his eyes…..smiling. He knew the owner of the voice. It was the same voice that had told him to rise from the chambers of darkness.

It was the voice of the Black Tiger.—

The young one was left alone after no more than ten minutes. The emotions that had frozen him left, and they were replaced by determination-

It was the type of determination Megaman X had come to know so well.

His eyes shimmered like stars from the heavens, and a smile bloomed on his face. His heart resumed its normal beating……and courage began to flow through his veins like fire. A small laugh left his mouth……and he left the Infirmary.....

Ready to fulfill the promises he had made.

--_Thank you very much everyone. I am really bummed out about not being able to update a lot anymore-whenever I think about not being able to work on this, I become sad. I don't want any of you to give up on me or on this story. I'll try to update WHENEVER I can, okay? I'll use any opportunity that presents itself. This story isn't going to end until it ends. I hope you guys like what I've done with Axl. Please take care everyone, and rest assured-the show isn't over 'till its over. Like always, feel free to send me anything that's on your minds. (bows, then sadly walks out into the rain, feeling extremely lonely)_


	22. Resounding Light

Hello again, everyone. I know it's been quite some time, but I can't thank you enough for supporting me. Your support really means a lot. (is listening to Macalania Woods theme song) I seem to favor this song. It matches my mood right now. To Uzu-Chan and the Revered Khilai: thanks. Big hugs to the both of you. Here goes nothing.

-The level of tension died down a few hours later, but to many of the Reploids inside of the Maverick Hunter base, the tension was still at a lethal, feverish pitch. Many of the workers attended to the Infirmary Reploids, who were incredibly shaken up by the abrupt explosion that had taken place inside. None of them received any life-threatening injuries, but the emotional injuries were major-many of the Infirmary workers were unable to stop trembling for quite a while after the explosion. Many of them were greatly worried about Zero, and others couldn't stop thinking about the deadly, black song of the flames….their friends did everything they could do to calm them down, and everything they did worked out in the end. After the treatment, several of the Infirmary workers returned to their dormitories for rest, while the others decided to clean up the very place they worked in.

Snipe had done a pretty good job of disrupting things.

For a short while many of the Reploids, including Megaman X and General Signas, dashed throughout the base and took care of everything that needed to be dealt with. They attended to the ones that had been injured emotionally and the ones that had been given physical injuries, feeling great, unstoppable tidal waves of ice scorch their entire bodies. The Hunter and his general worked as a team, rushing throughout the base to heal everything that had been damaged in the incident….

Time was a cruel, unyielding enemy. It dealt out millions of emotions to every single soul in the base, and there wasn't a single heart that could deal with such a tremendous burden. The tension level had died down, yes, but it certainly wasn't gone. The atmosphere was still cold…

And filled with the deep, black mists of death.

Electricity was running throughout the base, but to everyone Reploid working inside of the base, it was completely dark. It was dark on the inside, dark on the outside…..

Things weren't getting any better.

The dormitory of General Signas wasn't much different from the rest of the base. The general's room was dimly lit, and it was excruciatingly cold…

It was as if the heavens knew of the pain they were all experiencing.

Usually, the general's dorm was a place of comfort and warmth, but those things no longer existed. Now, it was a cold realm of the darkest ice……and not a single moment of serenity could be found inside of it. Standing in his room was like standing right before a huge wave of black sea water…..

Signas felt like he was standing right before an enormous wave….

A wave that wanted to sweep him away into oblivion.

The general was inside of his dormitory, pacing around nervously with closed eyes. Signas had a habit of pacing around in his room whenever he became upset in anyway, since he was unable to sit still during times of dark emotions. There were documents all over his bed, his laptop was on, waiting for him to respond….but it was being completely ignored.

All of the trivial things, all of the little material things, were being completely ignored.

There wasn't anything to do at the moment. Everything had been cleaned up, everything had been taken care of….of course he would clear up a problem if it came up, but right now-

There was only one thing to do.

Pray.

Silence was burning his ears like daggers of ice. It was cold….way too cold for him to handle. He felt like a young horse that had been forced to walk out into a black storm of unyielding, fatal ice……and there wasn't anything he could do about it. He was the Maverick Hunter General, yes-

But right now, he felt like he wasn't any bigger than a baby chick.

A part of him wanted the company of a friend, but the other part of him wanted to be left alone. The other part of him wanted to sink into oblivion….

That part of him wanted the wave to take him away.

But that part wasn't going to get its wish.

"General Signas?"

Signas recognized that voice right away. It was the voice of his dear friend-

Megaman X.

"Yes, X?"

"May I come in, sir? I'd like to speak with you."

The tone of X's voice caused a million darts to strike the heart of the general. X was trying to keep up a strong front, but he really felt lost and disconsolate. The general released a small sigh and gave his friend an answer.

"You have my permission to enter."

Megaman X appeared in his room a moment later, wearing a small smile-he was obviously thankful for the chance to speak with him. He noticed that the general wasn't in the best of moods instantly, and so he made an attempt to lighten the atmosphere by giving a glance to the documents on the bed.

"Sir. Pardon me, but you aren't usually messy."

Signas smiled at him, but it was a smile that made X realize that he had failed at lightening the mood. It was a wry smile, one filled with impenetrable sadness.

"I'm sorry, but neatness doesn't really matter at the moment."

Sadness bloomed inside of the Maverick Hunter's heart at a powerful, excruciating rate. Crystallized drops of dew rushed into the gentle, divine eyes of the soldier…but he did his best to restrain them. He sat down on the general's bed, knowing that sitting on it wouldn't bother the general at all…..still wearing a soft smile….

But the smile wasn't one filled with golden light.

Signas sat down next to him, listening to the heartbeat of his soldier. He could feel the emotions of his friend….he could almost actually taste them. His soul united with X's as soon as the Hunter stepped into the room-both of them were experiencing the same type of pain…..

And neither one of them could get rid of it.

"Sir. The Infirmary is back up and running. None of our programs received any heavy damage, and neither did any of our workers. The Infirmary equipment took some damage, but it'll be fixed very soon. Zero is inside of ICU. That's all I have to report, sir."

_**Zero.**_

That name sliced Signas's heart like a saber of cold steel.

_**Zero.**_

Thanks to Snipe, he had been cut off from life support for several minutes. Miraculously, Zero was able to rise from the cold hands of death……but…….

X closed his eyes. He wanted to say more…..he wanted to extinguish the silence flowing between him and his dear friend……but his heart was throbbing painfully against his chest…..

It was trying very hard to fly right out of him.

Silence stayed inside of the dormitory for several long minutes, then Signas gained enough strength to speak. The eyes of the general were filled with firm devotion…..and firm, everlasting sorrow. His voice wasn't any different, even though he wanted to sound cheerful for the sake of his friend.

"So. I found out that Snipe Anteater, one of Axl's former friends, succeeded in sneaking into the Infirmary. Evidently, the Red Alert Syndicate found out about the crisis on our hands."

"Sigma was probably the one that found out for them." X replied with a soft, miserable sigh. "Remember, he IS obsessed with Zero."

More silence. But this time, it wasn't the type of silence that made them both feel uncomfortable.

"So, X?" Signas asked his dear friend after ten long years had elapsed. "Where is our young guest, anyway?"

The mention of the Black Tiger caused even more tears to rise to his X's eyes. His chest began to burn with fervent, fiery admiration and devotion…..but it also began to burn with the greatest degree of sorrow. His eyes began to shimmer like diamonds of the night, being soaked by the waves of the ocean…..and he began to tremble….unable to stop the tears of his heart from flowing. "I don't know." he said to Signas, wanting to break down and cry. "I really don't know. I had the opportunity to speak with him right after the explosion occurred……I haven't seen him since. I really hope he's all right."

_**Axl.**_

The image of the young reploid dashing towards the Infirmary caused even more tears to enter the Hunter's eyes.

_I hope you're okay._

"Sir, may I speak freely?"

Signas smiled at him the way a proud father would smile at a son that had just discovered the beautiful miracle of life. He placed a hand on X's right hand, letting the Hunter know that he had his full attention and support. X smiled at him weakly through endless drops of pristine light….unable to stop the pain inside of his chest….

"I really think Axl would make a great Hunter."

"Really now? Why is that?"

"Because……" His voice became hoarse, but he tried his best to stay strong. "…..he may appear to be a normal teenager, since he has the vivacity and strength of one, but…he's more than that. He's wise……brave…..and has a heart of gold. His heart's…….beautiful. I've never seen a young one with such a pure soul before."

More silence passed between the two of them……

Fortunately, this time…..it was calm…..serene….sweet silence.

X placed his hands over his face and allowed every single one of his tears to flow. The pain inside of his chest exploded, his heart exploded…..everything inside of him fell apart……

Signas, still wearing the facial expression of a calm, proud father, put an arm about his shoulders….and gave the Hunter the time he needed to calm down. Several minutes passed before X was able to calm down a little……but the voice of the Hunter was still shaky and hoarse…..and his chest was still in a great amount of pain. The general didn't speak to him until he became silent, still emitting the warm aura of a loving, affectionate and supportive father.

"X. Dr.Cain keeps speaking to me about a light….a tiny light of hope that's glimmering in the distance. Do you think…..Axl could be our light of hope?"

The promises Axl had made to him returned to his mind…..the determination of the young's fierce eyes returned to his heart……everything burned itself into his soul…..

And those images would remain with him for all eternity. be." X said to the general softly. "He could be. He said….he told me that….he wants to find a cure……for Zero. Haha, he wants to look for something that's not even out there. I think it's silly. He's chasing after a false hope."

"Well, at least he has the strength to believe in hope. He's a strong one, that Reploid."

Silence returned….but only for a few moments. Both of them sat together-one of the Reploids had his eyes closed, the other one was lost in a whirlpool of thought……both of them sat together, feeling the emotions of each emotions of each other's hearts….feeling the light from their souls rise to the heavens…..

But the beautiful silence didn't last long at all.

_**"Captain X! Captain X! Please, please answer me! Captain X!"**_

X's heart fell into a million pieces the very second that voice touched his ears. It was the voice of an Infirmary worker-a young female named Rally. He looked at his wrist communicator and allowed the call to come through, not really wanting to hear any bad news but she didn't sound very happy…….

_"Rally, what is it! Tell me!"_

_**"It's about Captain Zero, sir! It's Zero! He only has a few hours left to live, sir! He can't stay with us much longer! During the explosion he was removed from life support, sir, and that caused some SERIOUS damage! He doesn't have much time!"**_

Right then and there X fell into an eternal nightmare. Everything around him shattered, everything inside of him shattered…..his frame of mind shattered…..his SANITY shattered. He didn't want to believe anything she had just said, he didn't want to acknowledge any of the emotions that were flowing through his body….he didn't want ANYTHING……his head began to spin madly…….

_Oh God……._

The face of the young Rally vanished from the monitor, but X forgot about her right after she had given him the update. His whole world was spinning…..and he felt excruciatingly sick. He forgot about who he was, where he was, the outside world…..

"General?"

Signas wanted to break down and cry. The face of the Maverick Hunter was perfectly calm, and so was the Hunter's voice….but he was truly ready to crack. Seriously.

"Yes?"

"Can you wake me up? Please? I'd like to wake up now. I'm tired of being lost in this nightmare."

Signas's chest began to hurt. And so did his heart.

"I'm sorry, X….but….I'm lost too."

A minute of silence passed, and then the Maverick Hunter rose from his place…..and left. General Signas was left alone with his emotions and thoughts…..unable to see clearly….unable to think clearly……

There was only one word going through his mind.

And it was the word 'why'.

-Megaman X fell to his knees several yards from his general's dormitory, unable to go any further. The world he was in was literally killing him, but there wasn't anything he could do to stop the nightmare. He felt cold, lightheaded, dizzy, weak…..everything in the book had his picture right under it. He was dangerously close to throwing away the will to live. There wasn't anything left for him to believe in...

_"X!"_

With the greatest amount of reluctance, X answered the call on his wrist communicater….failing to recognize the voice. "What is it?"

"It's me! Hey!"

A gasp tore itself from the Hunter's throat. That was none other than-

"Axl! What are you-where are you!"

The Black Tiger smiled at him nonchalantly. "I'm about to take care of a little problem! Don't bother coming after me, pal! I'm all right on my own!"

"Wha!" X still couldn't believe that Axl was no longer inside of the base. "But what about-what are you-"

"I've got everything under control. Don't worry about me! Just take care of yourself, all right?"

"But-"

"I said stop being such a worry wart! It's fine, okay?"

"Axl……"

X's heart went through the longer roller coaster drop. The Hunter was looking at the face of the only one that believed in the thing called "hope"…..but he was falling through eternal despair. Tears streamed from his eyes like oceans……and his chest continued to burn…..

"It's……about…..Zer-"

"I know. It's okay, X. I know. You don't have to explain anything. Listen." The young one's voice was firm, but very soft and warm. "I'm going to take care some of business. I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise. Just try to stay strong. I know it's hard, but I'll be back."

Axl was killing him. The young one was so courageous and kind….it was beyond phenomenal. The Black Tiger was the parent trying to console a child that was in the middle of a plane crash, and he was doing the "parent" job perfectly. X smiled at him weakly through so many tears…….

"Axl?"

"Yeah?"

Two words left the Maverick Hunter's mouth.

"Thank you."

The young one grinned at him. "Hey. You're welcome. I take care of my friends. I have t'go now, all right? Keep your chin up!"

The child was left all alone…..wanting the parent to return. The child felt helpless….excruciatingly helpless………Axl seemed to be a million miles away…..

_I don't know what to do._

_I can't think, I can't do anything._

_I need you here._

_Hurry up and return. Please._

_"Hey, you're welcome! I take care of my friends. I have t'go now, all right? Keep your chin up!"_

_Oh God……Axl….Zero……Zero…….I don't know if I can……_

-Time was no one's ally. To the Black Tiger, it was like a swift wind of fire-relentless, deadly and sadistic. It was laughing at him….and he knew it.

But nothing could escape the fury of his claws.

An hour flew by like a mere second.

The domain of Snipe Anteater was silent…….it was a realm of ocean blue melodies…..and a realm of sapphire blue dreams. There wasn't a single soul moving throughout the entire the base-

The tiger had dealt with his prey.

Drops of starlight were silently floating throughout the domain of Axl's latest victim….watching over the tiger, who was lost in thought at the moment. The body of Snipe Anteater, which was drenched in vermillion red blood, was at the young one's feet…….and there was a tiny smile on the young one's face. He sheathed both of his guns, scanned his surroundings…..and laughed at the one that had failed to come out on top.

"Heh. That wasn't so hard."

It was time to get back to the situation at hand. The young tiger's eyes became phenomenal gemstones of pure determination as he plunged into a chaotic world of thought…..the drops of starlight held a silent vigil over him as he soared throughout the realm of his mind, planning out his next move….

Time wasn't going to stop for anyone.

_Now, back to business. Where there's a will, there's a way. Where there's a virus, there's a cure. There has to be something somewhere. There's gotta be something somewhere._

_There are hundreds of professors, hundreds of Reploids…..Reploids are brought into the world every day, right? There are researchers…..scientists……hundreds, probably even thousands of those guys out there……so there HAS to be some type of data…somewhere…._

_That's it. I need to get into some type of database. But it can't be any old database._

A very bright light went off inside of the young one's heart, and a smile blossomed like a newborn flower in Spring on his face.

_That's IT! The database inside of my old hangout! Red collected TONS of data about everything there is to know! I could find anything in there! He's got information on everything, EVERYONE-even on Dr. Light, the guy that made X! Something HAS to be in there!_

The light inside of Axl's heart became brighter, and so did the courage within his eyes. His smile became warmer….but it became a smile of deep, strong vigilance…..

It was the smile of a true friend. A true brother.

_Perfect. I'm going to make everyone's dreams come true._

_I know something has to be in there._

The young Reploid left behind the cold, lifeless body of Snipe Anteater, filled with the most powerful light……..the light no one else believed in….

The light of hope.

-_Enjoy! I hope everyone likes this chapter. Twas very emotional for me. Big hugs to all of my dear supporters! Please stay with me until the very end! I won't disappoint anyone! And I promise I'll the newest chapters of your story soon, Uzu-Chan! I'll try to update soon!_


	23. Thunder

It was all coming right down to the wire.

Time was on no one's side. No one could stop its madness, and no one could control its fury-

But there was someone that certainly could defeat it.

And that someone wasn't just going to lie down without a fight.

Night had fallen upon the heart of the Black Tiger. The winds were cold and strong…..he could sense that the earth was completely aware of his emotions. The moon was watching over him from its place in the night sky, smiling down on him….encouraging him with every ounce of its strength. Drops of starlight fluttered throughout the cold air and followed him as he made his way to his next destination……filling his heart with hope….and…

And, of course, excitement.

The eyes of the young tiger were shimmering jewels that put every other jewel to eternal shame. The fire within his heart was beyond powerful-it had enough strength to burn down the gates of Hell. Silence surrounded him, but it had his soul wrapped up in uncontrollable emotions-and they were all emotions that had been born from the light of hope. There wasn't a single thought flowing through the mind of the young Reploid-there were only images flowing through his mind.

The images of his friends.

X, of course, was at the very surface of his mind. The Maverick Hunter's heart was completely broken-the look he had given Axl during their last conversation shattered all barriers of description. X had the look of a child that had lost absolutely everything...and no longer had anything to believe in.

The tiger was certainly going to change all of that.

Nothing could stand in his way. Time wasn't an easy enemy to deal with, but he wasn't easy to snuff out either. No one-nothing-could take him out easily, and that was a fact.

But what if the whole database thing wasn't going to work?

_It will. It'll work._

_There's gotta be something in there._

_Red collected all kinds of data….about EVERYTHING in existence. I have to find something in there._

Black rain clouds made their appearance an hour later, covered in the silver light of the orb in the night sky. Thunder began to play over the horizons, and it began to fill the tiger's heart with even more energy, for the thunder made him think of the excitement his heart was pounding with. The suspense level increased because of the strong, intense thunder….and it caused his eyes to light up with the greatest amount of joy. He looked like a child sitting under a parade of Christmas presents-nothing could cause his happiness to drift away.

Just hold on, a little while longer. Wait for me. I'll come back.

You'll see.

-"Splash Wafly, you have made the proper preparations, I assume?"

"Yes I have, Your Highness-I mean, your Sigmaness. Don't worry about a thing. I'll take care of the little upstart when he drops by. Everything's going to work out perfectly."

"Well, if it doesn't, then you'll just become my new plaything. You don't want that to happen, do you?"

Splash Wafly, a member of the Red Alert Syndicate, and Sigma were standing in the very center of Sigma's homebase, holding a conversation. Unfortunately for Splash, things weren't going very well-the look on Sigma's face caused a million shivers to shoot up his spine. The Maverick certainly wasn't someone he wanted to play with.

"No! No, I don't, sir! No! I'll make sure everything works out! Trust me!"

Sigma licked his lips, causing Splash to shiver even more. The Reploid was truly a sadistic, bloodthirsty freak that loved the mere thought of pain-the look on his face would have made that perfectly clear to someone with only half a brain. "Good." the Maverick said happily, putting an arm about Splash's shoulders. "I'm glad we can be friends. If this doesn't work out, then we'll become even better friends. Am I clear?"

"Yes! Yes sir!"

Unable to look at the expression on Sigma's face any longer, Splash Wafly dashed out of the room, but stayed hidden in the shadows of the doorway. Sigma was left to himself….

And he enjoyed privacy. It was like pure gold to him.

"Heh heh heh………it'll be soon, my dear friend. Very soon. I'll get what I want, and you'll drift away from me. So sorry it had to be like this, my red friend. You poor thing, you must be suffering right now."

_What is he talking about!_

_Oh, wait a minute-it's about that Zero guy!_

_The one he sent Snipe out to attack! He-what did he do!_

A second later, Splash received the surprise of his life.

"AAHHH!"

Sigma had a habit of popping up in people's faces when they least expected him to do so. He loved surprises.

A lot.

"You want to know what I did to Zero, hmmmm? Let's just say…that I added a little more spice to the concotion he's boiling in."

"And what's THAT supposed to mean!"

"Nothing much. I'm just speeding things up a little."

Right then and there, the Maverick disappeared without another word, and he left behind a very shocked Splash Wafly. Splash covered his mouth with his left hand, and his eyes widened in disgust as his mind reeled over Sigma's words. He knew of the mission Snipe had been sent out on, and he knew of what was going on with Zero…..but Sigma….

_Did he…..?_

_He did. Oh my god. He did!_

_He had Snipe plant the Venenum program into him!_

(A/N: Venenum is Latin for poison.)

_Jeez, this guy is cruel! Did we…..did we….._

_Did we do the right thing! I mean, NO ONE deserves to suffer like that!_

_But Red…..he just wants a new world for us….._

_And aren't I supposed to be fighting for him?_

-"Zero! Oh no, what's wrong with Captain Zero!"

"He isn't breathing-we're losing him, fast!"

"There's a program flowing throughout his systems-it's a program unlike any other! It's breaking every single barrier of his system-it's totally shutting him down!"

_**"Cyna, how can we stop it!"**_

"I'm trying to figure that out now, ma'am! But…..there's just no way…..I've never seen anything like this before! Never!"

"It isn't slowing down! It's actually picking up speed! I'm trying to decode the program now, but ignoring me! It's like the program has a mind of its own!"

_A mind of its own…..?_

Cyna, one of the assistants to Gate, put a hand over his eyes and swiftly digested everything she had just heart. She repeated the last sentence that had reached her over and over again….

"A mind of its own……how can that be? We're just dealing with a program-a bunch of data!"

The look on Gate's face didn't calm her down. It actually made things a lot worse.

"Sigma has his ways, dear friend. He has his ways."

-Thirty minutes passed.

The Black Tiger finally reached his destination-

The Red Alert Syndicate's homebase.

The very second his eyes fell on it was the very second his heart fell right into a vault of sorrow. It didn't look the way it normally looked.

It made the young Reploid think of a haunted house.

The mists of darkness surrounded every inch of his old home…..black lights engulfed every nook and every cranny……….before Sigma had tainted it with its evil, the base had been such a beautiful, grand place….a place of inspiration and wonder….

And now it was nothing more than a playhouse….for the sickest living being.

The appearance of his old home caused him to freeze with shock for a moment, but then he remembered that a certain something wasn't going to wait for him to recover. The Black Tiger rushed inside, thinking of the very place he needed to reach...and thinking of nothing else. The determination was still there-and it was giving him the speed he needed. He ran throughout the halls of the base, ignoring all of the memories that wanted to reach the surface of his mind….ignoring all of the emotions that wanted to consume him……

_Damn everything. This needs to be taken care of. I don't break my promises._

His eyes were completely open, but his heart wasn't seeing anything but the promises he had given to his friends. He knew where he was going-he could make with a blindfold over his eyes. He knew the exact location of the database that had been created by Red…..and so he was able to fall into a world of his own thoughts….

The silence of the base wasn't acknowledged by the young tiger. It went by completely ignored.

_Almost there. I've got to hurry._

Fifteen seconds went by. Axl flung the door to the database open and rushed in, immediately going to work. The amount of documents and discs that greeted him shocked him immensely-he had been absolutely right about everything. Red had collected an enormous amount of data on everything.

_Now it's time to get to work._

The young Reploid instantly dashed over to the giant computer, which sat in the middle of the room. A million questions ran and ran and ran inside of his mind, the suspense rose to a feverish, dangerous level, millions and MILLIONS of questions ran through his mind-

_Where do I start! Where do I begin!_

"Sheesh! Aw man!"

He had to calm down. Panicking wasn't going to get him anywhere. And he knew that.

But he also knew that time wasn't working with him-it was laughing at him.

_Okay okay. Here goes nothing._

It only took him a second to put out the fires of paranoia, and then he began to type in several commands on the keyboard of the computer. Out of the corners of his eyes he noticed the thousands of documents in the room, but he tried his best to ignore them for the moment. Fortunately, he was a very, VERY fast typer-he could type up an entire book in mere minutes. After a brief moment, data appeared on the screen-

_All right. After Dr.Thomas Light passed away, over two hundred professors came up and decided to create Reploids during the "Rebirth" era. The "Rebirth" era-it's called the "Rebirth" era because that was right after everything fell apart! Dr.Light passed away…..and so everything changed! Dr.Albert Wily became a huge psychopath-everything was turned upside down! The world was made into the place it is NOW!_

_Two hundred…..there are at least two hundred professors here. One of them must have known a lot about viruses and cures…..there's gotta be a researcher in here, somewhere…..Dr.Samson…..Dr.Wilheimer….Dr.Macbeth…..Dr.Richards…._

_Dr.Richards. Wait a minute-his file says that he specialized in cures for certain types of viruses. It says that he worked on several cures for the Snake Charmer virus, the Thanatos virus, which was created by some lady named Dr.Laina, and for the Ambrosia program, which was a malfunction that occurred during one of Dr.Macbeth's experiments! But Zero doesn't have ANY of these viruses-his virus doesn't even have a name! I need something that will cure ANY virus, not just a certain type!_

_Dr.Etumond…..Dr.Millons….Dr.Lakerin……Dr.Adrian…..Dr.Williamshire…._

Axl's eyes lit up, and so did his face.

_Dr.Williamshire! I think I may have found something! It says right here that he created the Panakeia program-_

_And Panakeia means Panacea in Greek!_

"Man, I sure am glad Red taught me how to read Greek. All of those lessons meant something after all. Guess it pays to be curious."

_Here I go. In the year 2010, Dr.Greg Williamshire worked together with Dr.Lana Atlinson and created Panakeia. He wanted to create an antidote for all viruses and program malfunctions….and so he did…..but the program never got to see the light of day. He died before he had a chance to complete it, and Lana felt that she couldn't carry on alone!_

(A/N: I know none of this is true! All of this so-called history is made up by me! I'm not trying to mislead anyone, and I hope I don't screw up anyone's perception on the history of MegaMan! This is all ME-it's just a part of my story! Enjoy!)

Axl typed in several more commands and pulled up-

_The program._

_I've got it, right here. But I need to decode it! It's being protected by barriers of data-Dr.Atlinson must have locked it down right after her partner died!_

"Great! Just my luck!"

The young one pounded his fists on the keyboard, sweating…..sweating….

_Now what! I've gotta figure out a bunch of riddles, right!_

He wasn't off at all. Several different codes appeared on the screen….

And they were all in Greek.

_Damn! I've got to break through the barriers before I can take the goods back! The program won't be any good to us if it WON'T WORK! But I don't have much time!_

"Aaaarrrgghhhh!"

_Search for the hidden light of Death's guardian…..Death's guardian……?_

_Who would-wait a minute. Death's guardian!_

This is a line from Dr.Williamshire's journal…..everything he wrote down was everything she decided to form into a barrier! But who could Death's guardian be!

_Who's the Greek God of Death……?_

_Aries is the God of War, so that doesn't work……..but what about Mors! No, that's the ROMAN God of Death! Thanatos is the Greek God of Death! Perfect! But what about-_

"Well, hello there, Axl."

A sharp gasp tore itself from the young one's chest, and his heart ripped itself right out of his soul. His eyes became solid pools of infinite shock and horror…..and he turned to look at the very one that had spoken to him. One name left his mouth…..and fear swept right over his whole body….

"Red."

Red, the one that had loved him…cared for him…..

Was just a few inches away from him, ready to strike.

His voice was soft and pleasant, but he had the look of a demon….a demon that was ready to kill.

"How nice it is to see you. Why don't we talk for a few minutes? I'm sure it wouldn't hurt anything."

Axl's eyes widened even more, and his heart began to pound at a perilous, deadly speed.

Red wasn't with him for a friendly chat.

_Oh no._

-I hope everyone is enjoying! Heehee! Once again, I hope didn't confuse anyone about the history of Megaman! None of the stuff Axl found is real! I just made it for my story! (hugs Star Ninja) Of course I'll read your fic when I have the time! And thank you so much for your support! (throws parade)


	24. Memories

Big hugs to everyone! Hello out there! (drum rolls) It is now time for me to respond to my reviews. (bows) Thank you very much!

To The Awesome Khilai: Another wonderful review from the Great One himself. I can't thank you enough for your enthusiasm. It seems like my story is working out the way I wanted it too. I'm glad you're able to feel like one of the characters! Your reviews are the kind of reviews that make writers want to continue with their work. This humble writer thanks you from the bottom of her heart. Speaking of 'Complexity of a Soul'…….you're the one that needs to update, like, PRONTO! (smiles)

To the Ninja of the Stars: Heehee. Cliffhangers are fun. Glad you like them! I like writing them-I was caught up in the suspense myself. I actually began to type a lot faster towards the end of my last chapter. Haha!

To Prjct.War: Hi again! When I saw your review I realized that my story really is working its magic. I'm glad you like my chapters!

To PRIVATE: Axl isn't really worried about Red and the others-he just regrets having to fight against them. His mind is focused on both X and Zero, so he has no time to worry about being chased, and the Black Tiger is definitely altruistic, so being chased down doesn't really matter to him. He puts his true friends before anything else.—

Fear caused Axl's entire body to dry up in no more than a second. His mouth became painfully dry, and his eyes were wide with immense shock. For a moment he tried to figure out what he had done to deserve such bad luck-he felt like a young child being cornered by a killer, in the darkest closet. His heart was pounding at a breakneck speed-he felt as if he no longer had one. Red was no more than a few feet away from him….smiling…..

_Crap. Crap. Crap and more crap. This is definitely not good._

"Red!" the young tiger said to the one that had interrupted his mission. A smile was on the young Reploid's face, but it wasn't a sincere one.

Axl loved being sarcastic sometimes.

"How nice it is to see you. Unfortunately, you kinda picked a really crappy time to say 'hi'. Why don't we talk later?"

The look on Red's face wasn't a look that could have been described as 'normal'. The Reploid looked like a really thirsty vampire that was trying to keep his cool…..and that look caused a million blades of black ice to shoot through Axl's body. A soft sigh withdrew itself from the young's mouth as he accepted this fact-

The one he cared for….the very friend he had loved…

Was gone.

The true Red was no longer with him.

_Where did you go?_

_This isn't you. This can't be you._

_You've been replaced by an evil clone….haven't you?_

Red returned Axl's sarcasm perfectly. His voice was a demonic dirge of evil…and his eyes were bright with the fires of the underworld. Red's physical appearance alone caused Axl's heart to plunge right into sadness-the Red he had known and cared for wasn't……..

A huge, psychotic freak.

"Sorry, dear friend, but I must speak with you now. Urgent matters. You understand."

The mask of kindness disintegrated from Axl's face. His face became hard with firm, fiery hatred….and his voice became a bright beam of strength. "Yeah?" he asked Red, ready to pounce on his new enemy. "What d'ya want from me? I no longer work for you, remember? I'm not one of your little toys, pal!"

The mask of friendliness also removed itself from Red's face. Red was matching Axl's every move perfectly……and that fact was causing great anger to rise within the young one's heart. Axl glued his eyes to his opponent, sensing the desire to attack…..Red kept his eyes on him…….

"Well, is that so? Sorry to disappoint you, my dear child, but you have no choice in this matter. I need something from you, and you're going to give it to me, whether you like it or not."

Red's tone of voice caused even more blades to shoot through Axl's body, and the young one realized that he was in serious trouble. Red wasn't playing around-he already had his claws bared and ready, and he evidently wasn't going to back off and leave him alone. The data for the panacea was still on the screen, and so his mission was in great danger, and time still wasn't willing to stop for anyone. The young tiger was trapped in a cold, dark room….with a mindless, soulless killer…..

_Crap. This is definitely not good. Not good at all._

The young Reploid placed his hands on his two guns, ready to remove them in a flash. Red saw that he was preparing for an attack and laughed at him, still wearing a vindictive, harsh smile…..

"Come on now. Must we resort to violence? Let's finish our talk."

Axl's tone of voice would have caused a ten-headed, red-eyed demon to run off, whimpering.

"I'm not giving you anything, so just walk out of here and forget that you even stopped by."

"I'm not going anywhere, you pathetic little cockroach, until I get what I came for."

"It's nice to see you too, Red. How have you been? I've been fine, thanks."

The young Reploid was doing something he really didn't want to do.

He was releasing all of the anger….all of the sorrow…that had been born within him….because of the hatred he was receiving from his old friends. He wanted to keep his mind on the Maverick Hunters…..but….he couldn't stop the memories from rising….and he couldn't stop the tears from falling…..

It was just too hard.

Red began to walk towards him, bearing the look of a wrathful bear in his eyes….which were no longer the warm, affectionate jewels Axl had become so comfortable with. The Reploid's voice was filled with the most powerful amount of hatred…..even though a smile was still on his face…

"Don't you talk like that to me. I didn't betray you. You betrayed me. Get it! You've got no right to spout off that kind of crap right in front of me!"

Axl's voice became louder….and more tears began to descend from his eyes. He wanted to hold them back, but it was as if each teardrop has its own will, its own soul. The young tiger released all of his furious thoughts on his opponent…without even wanting to. He wanted to forget everything-he wanted to throw away his past, the memories he had shared with Red…..but throwing everything away was impossible….since everything he wanted to get rid of…..

Meant so much to him.

"Bullcrap! I didn't betray anyone! YOU betrayed me-you betrayed YOURSELF! You've forgotten the true meaning of the Red Alert Syndicate, buddy! You've forgotten everything! You've forgotten about ME!"

I really, really hate myself right now…..I'm not supposed to be doing this! Sheesh….I've got to concentrate on……X and Zero……but……

"You're being selfish. How sad! I thought I raised you well. Apparently I failed you as a father."

Axl's tone surpassed the power of the greatest thunderstorm.

_**"Don't talk to me like I'm some stupid guinea pig you picked off the street!"**_

"I wish I had left you on the street! You ungrateful, disgusting little insect! I should have left you on the road to rot! You're no good to me! You're worth absolutely nothing!"

Those words caused pure, shimmering drops of starlight to enter Axl's young eyes. The young Reploid wanted to burst into tears right then and there….Red's words burned themselves into his mind…and his soul…

_You're worth absolutely nothing!_

He tried to keep on reminding himself that the Red he was speaking with….wasn't really the true Red….but that was no longer working. The words that were coming from Red's mouth were real….the hatred within Red's eyes was real…..everything was real…..

He couldn't lie to himself anymore.

Red wasn't standing right next to him. It wasn't a clone-it was the real deal.

For a minute, the young one was frozen by the sorrow flowing through his body. All of the memories…all of the smiles….everything soared through his broken heart at the speed of light….and sorrow froze every inch of his soul. His eyes fell to the ground as he allowed himself to become immersed in the distant memories of the past….shock united with sorrow and ate away at his heart…..

He couldn't believe what he had just heard…he couldn't….

The minute of silence passed without a hitch. Axl's eyes rose from the ground and returned to Red's eyes, filled with a beautiful, heart-breaking amount of grief, bravery and scorn. The young one was ready to spread his wings and fly-he had other matters to deal with….promises to keep….

"I don't have time to deal with you. I've got something to take care of."

A moment later, Axl found himself on the cold, hard floor, doubled up in deep, unbearable pain. At an amazing speed, Red had dealt out a hard punch to his chest, causing the young one to fall to the floor. The Red Alert Syndicate leader laughed at the one he had beaten down viciously, shouting at him as if he had done nothing wrong…

_**"You disgust me, you little bastard! How could you turn away from me! How!"**_

No answer. Axl really didn't want to speak to him….and even if he wanted to, he couldn't. The ability to speak was temporarily gone-the pain that had engulfed his body was beyond excruciating….he could barely even breathe.

And the oceans of tears streaming from his eyes weren't making things better.

"You're going to give what I want, unless you no longer value your life! Would like you to know what I'm after! I'll tell you! I'm after the DNA codes for your dear new friends, Megaman X and Zero! Master Sigma would like the chance to play with them! Would you like to cooperate with me, or not!"

Silence………stayed for about ten seconds….then…..

_"Go screw yourself."_

Red delivered a kick to the young Reploid that caused even more pain to shoot through his body. The power of the kick was unbelievable-pain suffocated him right after Red had given it to him. The ability to breathe was lost to the young one for an entire minute, but then he regained enough strength to continue breathing….even though his body was on fire. The tears wouldn't stop flowing from his eyes….and his heart was shattered into a million pieces….the room was so cold, so bare and lifeless……

"I'm sorry things have to be like this, you know. We could have made a great team, you and I, but I guess things were meant to be like this. I'll see you again soon, dear little Axl….but trust me, our next get-together won't be so pretty."

The leader of the Red Alert Syndicate walked out of the room….and silence consumed everything in its path. The young Reploid was and still in a tremendous amount of pain. There wasn't anyone to comfort him….there wasn't a single soul around to speak to him...a part of him felt like a small child, all alone without a single smile or embrace. Millions and millions of tears fell from his eyes…..he wanted to hold them back, but nothing could be held back…..every tear held a memory……a memory of the happiness he had once treasured……

The happiness he had just lost.

Ten long minutes passed, and the young one realized something.

The tears had stopped. There wasn't a single tear that needed to be shed. They were…all gone. Every last one of them.

The pain had stopped as well. Everything was….

Gone.

He rose to his feet and wiped the remnants of the dewdrops from his eyes with a sniff. The strong determination that had rushed into his eyes just a few minutes ago returned…and healed his entire body. His eyes became bright jewels of everlasting strength and courage…..and his heart….filled his entire body with power.

_What am I doing? I've got a promise to keep! And time isn't going to stop for anyone!_

The young one returned to the keyboard and looked up at the data, noticing that Red had paid no attention to it. That fact caused a small smile to bloom on his face. His heart was still hurting….but the pain was minor.

_I don't need you anymore, Red. You've taught me all I need to know, so now I can fly on my own. I've got my own path to go down now. You can take your own path._

_Now……_

Axl re-read this very line-

_Search for the God of Death._

_Thanatos. That's right._

With a sigh, he pounded his fists on the table on slammed his forehead onto the very same place.

_"This is going to suck. Badly. Why did this jerk have to be Greek?"_

_The vault of your will must be opened, look to the stones of Mnesicles?_

_Mnesicles…….if I'm right….then Mnesciles was the guy that created….the Erethecion building!_

_Two down, ten to go._

-Time passed by lazily, but to the young Reploid, time was soaring by at the speed of sound. Every second brought to him a new riddle, a new barrier that needed to be cracked….his mind wandered to his dear friends back inside of the Maverick Hunter base sometimes, but then he went right back to his mission……and continued to crack the barriers that stood before his treasure. At times he became severely frustrated, the way all young, hyper-active teenagers become frustrated when faced with a ridiculously hard challenge-Axl wasn't an expert in the language of Greece, and he certainly wasn't an expert on its history, but the challenges that sprang up in front of him were met perfectly.

An hour passed. The last barrier was cracked, and the program was revealed. A massive amount of data assaulted his eyes and caused him to gasp sharply-

"Whoa. Pretty big program."

The data was beyond complex, and it seemed to be an endless ocean, an endless abyss of numbers and letters and words. A huge grin blossomed on the young one's face when he realized that he had just cracked open a VERY hard nut.

_**"All right! I can't believe I actually did that!"**_

A moment later he noticed a message that had appeared on the computer's monitor. A small gasp left his mouth, and he quickly read every single word of the message-

Which was in Greek.

**Dear friend. I hope you find this program to be very useful. Please use it for the pursuit of good knowledge and health. Using this for evil purposes will be unacceptable. Please use this with good intentions. Thank you for bringing my friend's gift into the light.**

The grin reappeared on the young one's face, and soft laughter slowly drifted into the cold air.

"Heh heh. Don't worry. You guys can rest easy. I'll put this to very good use."

-The dormitory of Megaman X was an icy, black realm of never-ending despair and pain. There weren't any lights on-there was just the song of eternal, fatal darkness flowing through his room like the poison of a snake. The Maverick Hunter was sitting on his bed with closed eyes, shedding an immeasurable amount of tears. He had left the Infirmary several minutes ago….and that visit to the Infirmary sent his heart into a nameless oblivion. The world around him seemed so bare, so cold and dreary….his friends around him were distant…..no one could do anything to stop the pain. Axl, the only one that was strong enough to hold on to anything, had not yet returned-

And X missed him and needed him dearly.

The Maverick Hunter was about to go off the deep end. He was heartbroken about Zero, but at the same time, he couldn't stop worrying about the young Axl. He knew Axl could take care of himself-that was obvious. But X always worried about everyone. He worried about Zero when they went on missions together. He had to have been the biggest worrywart alive.

The nightmare wasn't going to end. It was continue….until the end of time….

The extra spice Sigma had given Zero made things even worse. Zero really didn't have much time left-he had only three hours left, thanks to the stupid program Snipe had injected into him…….

There wasn't anything he could do. He couldn't even say good-bye. Zero was asleep.

And he was going to stay that way.

-(bows) Hello! I have something to say about Red-if any of you have read "Complexity of a Soul", PLEASE DO NOT COMPARE THAT RED TO MINE. KHILAI'S RED IS A HELL OF A LOT WORSE THAN MINE. if you haven't read that story, I'll have to send my monkey squads out to torment all of you…just kidding. But that story is definitely a masterpiece. I'm not trying to make an imitation of Khilai's Red-I wanted him to turn into a scumbag too. I'm so proud of my story. I really hope you guys like what I'm doing with Axl! Yeah, he'll be a big part of my X8 novelization too!


	25. Tension

Two hours and forty-five minutes passed.

The light of the sun began to break out through the black clouds, which rested over the Maverick Hunter base. However, it was not yet ready to blossom-it was waiting for the star of hope to complete its mission. The winds were still cold and strong….but…they had died down a bit…..it was as if they were waiting for the young star to rise to the heavens as well. The clouds no longer looked ominous and evil-they too were watching over the young one that had made so many deep promises….to individuals he had just befriended hours ago.

Axl entered the Maverick Hunter base at the same speed he entered the Red Alert homebase. Time was draining away fast-just a couple of minutes ago, an Infirmary worker contacted him and told him that Zero only had about twenty minutes left, and so he knew that he had to hurry. The young tiger didn't stop running once he entered the Maverick Hunter base. Ignoring the greetings of the Reploids he passed by, including General Signas and Alia, he made his way to the Infirmary…where Gate and the others were still monitoring Zero. Not a single word escaped the young one's mouth-he made his way to the Infirmary in swift, rapid silence….thinking of only one individual.

Zero.

In his left hand was a small disc of data. It was a black disc, with a white label on the front. There was a word on the label-

_Panakeia._

Alia was able to read the label, even though Axl passed by her at an incredible speed. She repeated the word over and over in her mind, trying to figure out its meaning…..after the third time, she began to say it to herself out loud…

"Panakeia…panakeia…."

"Doesn't that sound like the word 'panacea'?" Douglas, the Head Mechanic of the Maverick Hunters, asked her urgently, picking up on the situation quickly. All of the puzzle pieces were swiftly putting themselves together. Alia gasped, and her gentle eyes lit up with realization.

"Panakeia DOES mean panacea! It's Greek!"

"Do you think…."

"Where's he going!" A young male Reploid asked the Maverick Hunter Navigator frantically, already knowing the answer to his own question. She looked at him with bright, hopeful eyes and answered him, unable to restrain the high amount of excitement welling up inside of her.

"He's headed for the Infirmary!"

"Do you think….Axl could have found the…."

Douglas didn't want to say it. It was too much to hope for. It couldn't have been true. There WAS no cure to Zero's virus…..

Alia, on the other hand, was ready to place all of her hope with the young Reploid. With a huge smile in her warm eyes, she looked at her old friend and laughed with sweet, golden relief. Her eyes were beautiful gemstones of sunlight…..they resembled the sunlight that wanted to break out over the entire base. "I think he may have found something, Douglas." she told him softly, feeling her heart swell with tears of happiness.

Douglas, however, wasn't ready to celebrate anything.

"Don't get your hopes too high in the sky, friend. We tried everything we could, but everything we did meant nothing. Zero's virus can't be removed from him."

"Ah. We'll just see about that."

That voice belonged to none other than Dr.Cain. Like Sigma, he had a nasty habit of popping up when it was least expected, but to his friends, his habit was a hilarious, harmless one. The old man was like a phantom of the night sometimes-he came and went where ever and whenever he wanted to. He smiled at the two of them, and placed an arm about Alia's shoulders. "I'll have to side with her on this one, Douggy." he said triumphantly. "I'm rarely ever wrong about these things."

"But Zero only has-"

Dr.Cain turned to the female Reploid that had spoken.

"Pipe down, Starcross. We all know that. Just hold your horses, all right?"

Silence filled the base for what seemed like the millionth time, but……this time, it was a different type of silence. It was soft, warm and tranquil……but at the same time, it was suspenseful and toxic. All of the Reploids that saw Axl dashing towards the Infirmary told the Reploids that didn't get the chance to see him about it. Hope poured throughout the base like a colossal wave of sky blue water…but was it right to hope? Was it safe?

Did this young Reploid actually find a way to heal their fallen captain?

-"Gate!"

Axl's voice surprised the gentle researcher-he jumped away from his data tables the very second the young Reploid entered the Infirmary. His eyes widened in surprise, and he placed a hand over his heart. "Axl!" he cried out in shock. "Wha-what are you doing here!"

"Doc, I think I may have found something. Listen. Everyone knows that we don't have much time left."

Without wasting a second, the young runaway handed the researcher the disc. Gate looked at it for a second, completely confused and clearly uncomfortable with hectic situations, but Axl wasn't interested in wasting any time at all. "Look." the young one said sternly. "I need you or someone else to check that out. It's…a cure. A cure for our friend's problems."

_**"Are you sure! This…..this isn't possible-I-"**_

Gate's face lit up with both excitement and fear. His heart began to pound at an unbelievable speed…..and his head began to spin madly. He was in the middle of a dream-none of this could be real. There wasn't any cure!

_**"I know it's weird but you've got to hurry up! Zero's not going to wait for us!"**_

"You're right." Gate gripped the disc in his hands firmly, ready to guard it with his life. Sunlight filled his eyes the way ocean blue water fell from the most beautiful fountain….

"We've got to get this to the ICU room immediately. There's no time to waste."

The two of them made their way to the ICU room….the very room Zero was resting in. During their small trip, Gate contacted every single one of his crewmembers….being swept up in the waves of the very thing called hope. Sunlight was replacing the black rainstorm that had swallowed his soul whole….and the sunlight felt warm and serene, like the gentle embrace of a loved one.

He couldn't believe anything that was happening.

Axl, a Reploid that had been a member of the Red Alert Syndicate, a Reploid that had just dropped in on them hours ago……was holding a cure for Zero's virus in his hand.

The young one had taken on so much….and the burden shouldn't have been his. He had his own burden to deal with….his own problems to face…..but he took on the burden anyway. He decided to be strong and place his belief in the very thing no one could think about-

Hope.

Gate had never met such a strong Reploid before. Never.

And he was so young too.

_I guess….life can throw some pretty weird curveballs at you….especially when you're not looking._

-The sunlight that was flowing through Gate's heart began to flow into Megaman X's dormitory. At first, the Hunter didn't notice it, since the pain he was in blinded him….but after a short while, the light began to enter his heart the way it had entered the heart of Gate. He didn't know why…..but he knew…

It had something to do with Axl.

_He's back._

The Hunter opened his eyes, and wiped away the mist of his tears. He looked around his dormitory, realizing that there wasn't a single light on in his room….but things were somehow becoming brighter by the second. He didn't know what was going on…..but…the young one had made him a promise…..

_Did……_

_"No. It can't be true."_

"X! Captain X! It is I, General Signas! Answer me at once!"

X began to feel incredibly lightheaded. The nightmare was turning into a dream. He looked at his wrist communicator and answered the caller.

"Yes sir! What is it, sir?"

"Make your way to the ICU room immediately. Gate has just informed me that Axl may have found a cure for our dear Zero's virus!"

"I'm on my way, sir. X out!"

The face of his general disappeared, and a great smile blossomed on his face…and in his heart. Tears entered his eyes…but for the first time in what felt like decades…..they were tears of joy and disbelief. The smile on his face became brighter and brighter with every passing second……

_Could it be true?_

_Did Axl actually find….._

_Well, it looks like we're about to find out.—_

Five minutes passed.

Axl was at Gate's side, excitedly watching the researcher load the program into the system. General Signas was right behind the young reploid……standing right next to Alia, the Navigator for the Maverick Hunters. Megaman X was right next to her….holding her hand….Dr.Cain was also inside of the ICU room, watching the climatic event with a calm, warm smile on his face…..looking like a proud teacher observing his students….

"Well now. It's all coming together."-

Suspense was soaring throughout the base like enormous waves of fire. Every single Reploid worker was tuned in to the events going in the ICU room in some way, and everyone was completely silent……not one could speak, no one could breathe……they all bore a great resemblance to people watching a breathtaking horserace-

And the horses were neck and neck with each other.

The suspense was maddening.

The Maverick Hunter base was cold, but at the same time, it was warm…….the hearts of the Reploids had become one whole heart…one whole soul….

All of them were waiting….

For the miracle that was getting ready to occur.

And that miracle was being created by one young Reploid.

-"Ah!"

Axl gasped instantly at Gate's cry, and his eyes widened in horror. "What is it!"

"It's this program! It's going to take at least fifteen minutes to decode!"

_**"WHAT!"**_

The Black Tiger looked at the messages on the screen…..

The data was scrambled……everything was…

"Oh no….."

There's another barrier of data!

"We don't have fifteen minutes! We're running out of time!"

"Gate!" Axl cried out, being swept up in the waves of relentless fear. "Move over-I'll deal with this!"

The researcher moved right out of the way-the Black Tiger was in no mood for hesitation. The young one looked down at the keyboard, and then up at the data-

_**Damn it. There's not just ONE barrier. Things must have changed because Gate's working on a different computer….or maybe its because the system here is having a hard time accepting the program!**_

_"Come on….."_


	26. Newborn Light

_"It's the virus! The virus is fighting against the program!"_

"Kitty's right-the virus is pushing back the program's functions-the virus inside of Captain Zero's body is no different from a huge tidal wave! We've got to do something!"

"But we can't-there isn't much time!"

_"The power of the virus is increasing by 2.56 percent! It isn't stopping!"_

Chaos exploded inside of the room that had been completely silent just a few seconds ago. The hearts of every Reploid in the room began to beat at an unbelievably painful rate…..suspense grabbed at every one of their souls and tormented them in the fashion of a sadistic, relentless clown. Eyes became wide with great fear, palms became sweaty…..the hearts of many Reploids began to beat incredibly fast…..too fast….

What seemed like a million sentences went off at once. The silence that had been upon them just a few seconds ago was now gone. Every single Reploid was restless, uneasy….none of them could stay silent…..none of them could stay the way they had been for such an excruciatingly long amount of time. Suspense had every single of them by the throats-

The horse race was coming to an end, but the horses were still neck and neck.

Every Reploid in the base was tuned into the events going on inside of the ICU room. Not a single one of them could breathe, or even speak. The ability to think was no longer in existence. All of them were frozen by fear….it was as if they were all stuck in a time warp…..swirling around in a whirlpool of immense emotions…..

_"The power of the virus is increasing by 5.81 percent!"_

"The program is being completely consumed by the virus! There isn't a thing we can do to stop them from uniting with each other!"

Axl looked over at the male Reploid that had just spoken. Once again, his eyes were shimmering with awe-inspiring determination and strength…..the Reploid was brought to tears the very second the Black Tiger looked at him. The young Reploid's voice was firm, yet still gentle and calm, like the voice of a true leader….

_"The program is being consumed by the virus! Don't tell me that the virus is increasing its power because of the program!"_

"You're right! The virus is attacking the program by using its functions to increase its power! And the power of the virus is increasing at an unbelievable rate! We've never seen anything like this before!"

Chaos was at an extreme, intolerable level. None of the Reploids, with the exception of Megaman X, Alia and General Signas were silent. The ICU team members were frantically trying to slow down the virus, but their efforts meant nothing….orders were shouted out from left to right, the keyboards were drummed on, eyes darted back and forth, hearts stopped…..Alia held onto X's hand, X held onto hers….Signas closed his eyes…..

_"The virus is still increasing its power!"_

The young Black Tiger, a former member of the Red Alert Syndicate, closed his eyes.

_Great. Can things get any better than this?_

Axl took a very deep breath….and slowly began to close out every noise, every sound around him. The beating of his heart became slower……and the frantic voices that surrounded him slowly drifted away from him. He could feel the heartbeats of his friends……and the song of their souls slowly melted away into his….as distant memories rose to the surface of the present. Serenity made its way into his body…his mind…..he thought of everything he could…..thought of the smiles he had received….the promises he had made……

The promises that had been broken…..

_**"Axl! Come, dear child!"**_

_**"What is it, Red?"**_

**_"My young friend, Snipe and I need your assistance. We're trying to upload this program into our databanks, but I'm afraid there's something preventing us from doing so. You seem to know so much about technology-I was you…?"_**

**_"Sure, no problem. I'll try my best."_**

_I'll try my best._

_I said those words to you…every day. I promised you….that…_

_We would fly together….someday._

_I wanted to protect you….the way you protected me. I wanted the two of us to live life to the fullest._

_But my dreams…..can't come true._

_You're gone._

_I didn't leave you-you left me. And that's all there is to it._

_I am about to become someone stronger._

_I'm no longer the one you knew….long ago._

_From this day forth, I will be my own individual…..I'll be strong….._

_**I'll go on without you.**_

The eyes of the young Reploid flew open, and his fingers shot right to the keyboard of the main center. Millions of voices continue to stream into his ears, like waterfalls of ice…millions of eyes fell on him, filled with the highest amount of tension possible….and millions of hearts went out to him, filled with…..

Hope.

Silence entered the ICU room a few minutes later. The eyes of every Reploid in the room were glued to Axl, who was helping the program fight against the huge tidal wave that wanted to eliminate his friend's soul. None of them could breathe-the suspense was beyond control. Hundreds of messages appeared and vanished as quickly as they came….data jumped all over the screen from every direction…..

The young runaway from the Red Alert Syndicate felt like a college student that only had five minutes to take an entrance exam.

Five minutes elapsed. Axl slammed a fist down onto the keyboard in frustration as the latest message burned right into his eyes-

_"What! System failure!"_

The young one pounded his fist on the table several times, unable to shake off the fiery poison of misery…

_**"Dammit-no no no no no no no no no NO! This can't be!"**_

_Crap! I'm going to have to reboot the entire system-but that'll take too long! I've got the WORST luck!_

_**"This just isn't my day!"**_

X's heart came to a complete stop. The Maverick Hunter closed his eyes, took a deep breath….and held it, unable to complete the exhaling process. The nightmare was still going on…..everything was happening so fast…..and he was dangerously close to losing the friend he cared for so much….

"We've got about five minutes left. All of Captain Zero's systems have shut down. None of them are operational."

Axl pounded and pounded on the control panel…trying to think of something….trying….trying……trying…..

_**"Crap…….what now?"**_

Rivers of hot sweat poured down his face and drenched his body. His heart was beating at a slow rate, but it was a painful, irritating rate. The young Reploid took deep, heavy breaths, wanting to calm himself down…….but nothing was working. His mouth was as dry as a rock, his head was spinning…..

_**Wait a minute. I can't do this. Everything's in my hands. I can't panic. The leader of a team can't panic in a crisis. I can't panic because everyone's depending on me. Zero's depending on me. But what should I-**_

"Hold on a sec."

One minute passed. The young one raised his head and continued to work on the keyboard, but this time, his typing speed had increased. His eyes were still filled with a heart-rending amount of valiance….but this time, the mist of starlight was in his eyes. His heart was pounding as if it had all of the time in the universe to function…..and because of its laziness, his whole chest was burning. Megaman X looked into his new friend's eyes, his own eyes filled with fear…..

_What's he doing?_

A moment later, the face of the beautiful Alia lit up just like a Christmas tree. "Ah ha! He found it! He found a way PAST the rebooting process! He did it!" she cried, soaring through the skies of pure, unrestrained ecstasy. General Signas looked at the face of the Navigator in shock, feeling like someone watching the greatest soap opera climax.

_**"How! How is that possible! How was he able to pass the rebooting process!"**_

"It's simple, really." Dr.Cain stepped up, speaking and looking like a professor at a lecture. "All y'have to do is locate the backup program and activate it. A backup program supports the system, if the system decides t' go out to lunch."

(A/N: I'm completely aware of the fact that my knowledge of technology stinks. I'm awfully sorry if I frustrate anyone because of all this! Once again, none of this is true-I'm just making it to suit my story.)

_"Are you serious!"_

"Of course I am. It's an extremely difficult process, but if you know your stuff, it doesn't take much time."

X put both of his hands together……..beads of hot sweat soared down his body, feeling like enormous raindrops….his heart began to pound faster and faster….and his mouth became painfully dry…..

"Oh God…..Axl……..please…….don't let him go….."

To X's surprise, the young one turned right around and smiled at him.

"Hey. I made you a promise, didn't I?"

The eyes of the Maverick Hunter widened in great surprise as the young one went back to work. His head had been down, and he had whispered those words to himself….how did Axl pick up what he had said?

"Axl….."

Three minutes passed.

"Two minutes remaining!"

"The Panacea program is up and running! Axl made it through the wave!"

"The power of the virus is decreasing by 75.02 percent! It's working! Our new friend did it!"

Sunlight was finally breaking into the entire base. Hearts soared into the heavens. Smiles blossomed on every face…..oceans of dew rushed into every pair of eyes…..and hearts became light with the pristine purity of happiness. Axl continued to work on the mission he had taken on, his eyes still shining with determination…….many pairs of eyes were on him, and hearts were filled with immeasurable shock….

Axl, the young Reploid that had left the Red Alert Syndicate to become a Maverick Hunter-

Was creating the greatest miracle of all.

One young Reploid was restoring the light of hope….a light that had been lost just a few hours ago. None of them thought it could be restored…..but there was one Reploid that refused to give up. He refused to stop believing in the very thing that had saved his life a few months ago-

Hope.

Four minutes.


	27. Rebirth

_**"Ohmigod! The internal systems of Captain Zero are being healed at an incredible rate!"**_

"The power of the virus is decreasing at 82.9 percent!"

The excited voices of the Reploid workers streamed into the ears of the young Reploid, but he kept his focus on his mission. Cool sweat dripped down his hands slowly as he continued working on the program….but there was something amazing about the way he was taking care of things. The young one's eyes were completely closed, and yet he was drumming away on the keyboard as if they were completely open. Sweat was streaming from his head in tiny beams of light, and deep breaths were coming from the young one's chest. He was perfectly calm, but at the same time, he was about to break into a fit of ecstasy because of the excitement flowing through the room. The eyes of Megaman X and the eyes of many others kept themselves glued on the young Tiger, who was creating the world's greatest miracle. Even though some hearts were rapidly pounding upon the drums of the highest happiness, many hearts were still having difficulty pounding upon anything because of the suspense flowing through the room.

X was unable to remove his eyes from Axl for even a second. The young Reploid either had eyes inside of his eyelids, or he memorized everything he needed to do. Either way, the Black Tiger was a phenomenal, miraculous living being. The Maverick Hunter had never before seen such strength, determination and confidence in any other Reploid….and that fact brought an ocean of tears to his eyes. His heart was slowly beating upon the drums of apprehension…a part of him still believed that the nightmare he had been in for so long was still going on….but the other part of his heart believed that the nightmare…..

Was getting ready to end.

And it was because of one young Reploid-

A Reploid he just met hours ago.

X's mind went back to the time of uneasy silence….the silence he threw Axl into. He thought of everything he had said to the young Reploid about how he loved to hide his feelings….his emotions…his thoughts on things. The Hunter felt immense pangs of regret when he brought up those memories, but at the same time….he still believed that everything he had told the young one was true. Axl loved hiding within himself-he wanted no one to care, no one to worry, but he wanted to clean the world's problems in one swoop. The young one was still drumming away on the keyboard, sweating with excitement….perfectly calm and confident in himself….

_It just wasn't fair._

Axl wasn't being…..fair.

_**"Four minutes and forty-seconds!"**_

The suspense level shot beyond the roof and beyond the heavens.

There were over 760 Reploids inside of the base.

Not a single one of them could breathe.

_**"The program's waves are being installed inside of Captain Zero's systems!"**_

_**"Our system is accepting every bit of the Panacea program!"**_

X closed his eyes.

_**"It's working! The power of the virus is dropping 99.92 percent!"**_

_**"Four minutes and fifty-five seconds!"**_

_**"The virus has come to a halt. It's being unraveled by the program!"**_

_**"The virus is involved in a battle with the Panacea. It's trying to fight back, but it's losing the war!"**_

_**"It's working! It's working, I tell you! The virus is being removed from Captain Zero's entire body! It's being completely drained out of him!"**_

_**"Five minutes and fifty-nine seconds!"**_

Right after those words pierced the air, a brilliant flash of crystal white light broke into the air, and blinded everyone within a ten-mile radius. Sharp gasps rose from the mouths of many Reploids, and hearts jolted with an enormous amount of fear. Hearts tried to escape from the chests of their owners madly, the way a prisoner tried to escape from its jail cell….eyes widened, mouths dried up…..the suspense was maddening. A Reploid named Ty shattered the maddening silence, his normally calm and dignified voice high-pitched with excitement.

_**"It's Captain Zero! It's Zero-his body is glowing with a white aura! The program is healing him!"**_

The bright flash of light kept all of them blinded for five whole minutes….then….

The light died down…….

And…….

Every single pair of eyes went straight to Zero. The silence in the room drove everyone insane...including the normally nonchalant, playful Dr.Cain. Hearts stopped, eyes became even wider…..no one could speak. No one could even think of a word to speak.

Axl was completely frozen himself. The young one's eyes were pasted on the body of Zero, one of the greatest Maverick Hunters of all time. He wanted to blink, since his eyes were becoming drier than rocks, but blinking was not possible. His heart was acting as if it wanted to fly right out of his mouth…he wanted to walk towards the body of the Crimson Flame, but walking wasn't really possible either. Silence drove everyone out of their minds until……someone gave the results of the event. It was as if the greatest horse-race had ended, and it was time to announce the winner of the million-dollar prize.

The announcer was a male Reploid named Dionysus, and he made the perfect announcer. His eyes were glued to the data on his screen…..

"He did it. He did it. He actually did it."

A second later, he shot up from his station and practically flew into the air, screaming-

_**"HE DID IT! HE DID IT! CAPTAIN ZERO HAS BEEN HEALED! HEEEEEEEEE DID IT!"**_

No one could have described what happened next.

Every single being in the Maverick Hunter base began to cheer, and they began to cheer at the top of their lungs.

Hundreds of Reploids hugged and kissed each other madly, as if they had been released from the darkest, coldest dungeon in existence. Hundreds of Reploids wept….even male Reploids broke down on their knees and released every bit of happiness they had within their hearts.

It was as if the greatest Super Bowl between the two greatest teams of all time had ended, and the losing team had only lost by a point.

It was as if the entire planet had been released from bondage.

There wasn't a proper way to describe what was going on inside of the base.

There were over 760 individuals inside of the base.

_**And not a single one was silent.**_

Douglas covered a nearby Infirmary worker in kisses. Dr.Cain did the same to General Signas. Alia covered Axl in kisses, and there were at least two hundred other females that wanted a chance to huge and squeeze the young Reploid. There had been just fifty individuals inside of the ICU room, but now, there were waves of Reploids pouring into the room-

_"I WUV YOU I WUV YOU I WUVVY YOU SO MUCH!"_

**_"HEY! LET ME GO-I'M NOT SOME STUPID KITTY CAT! CUT IT OUT, ALIA!"_**

_**"Let me have a turn! I wanna hug the cute widdle Axl!"**_

_**"HEY! I SAID CUT IT OUT ALREADY! JEEZ!"**_

The beautiful celebration continued. Millions and millions of tears were shed, kisses were given to friends and family, embraces were tight and warm…..the celebration was going to go down as the greatest celebration of all time. The Black Tiger was tormented by a massive crowd of female Reploids for a few minutes-at first the non-stop hugging and kissing bothered him, since he wasn't used to such behavior, but then he accepted everything with the warmest smile. Hundreds of Reploids warmly embraced him, gave him their gratitude and congratulated him for creating such a wondrous miracle.

**Hundreds and hundreds of Reploids.**

The most beautiful ocean of dew filled the young one's eyes.

He felt like an emperor that had just saved his kingdom.

He wanted to break down and cry himself. Never before in his life had he received such a wild, magical celebration. Appreciation like this didn't occur everyday.

There wasn't a frown in the house. Every single individual inside of the base…

Was happy.

And it was all because of something he did.

_I did this._

_Everything's okay now….and it's because…of something I did._

_With my own hands._

_I actually saved him._

"Sheesh, I didn't know I was actually so smart…."

The cheering went on for several minutes, but then a frantic, urgent voice broke through the ICU room. It was the voice of Gate, Alia's best friend and Infirmary Chief.

_**"Everyone! Everyone! Quiet!"**_

The words of the researcher spread throughout the thick crowds like fire, and within ten minutes, silence was restored.

The horse-race had ended-but both of the top entrants had finished with a photo finish. Both of them had been neck and neck right up to the very end-what was going to happen now?

Fear instantly blossomed on the faces of many Reploids, but the deadly emotion didn't explode. It was a harmless type of fear-the type that came about because of a high level of suspense. Gate gave his report right after silence entered the base-

_"Captain Zero's leaving the state of unconsciousness! He's stirring!"_

"Stirring _**what**_!" A male Reploid named Nimbus cried out, obviously going insane because of the excitement in the atmosphere. "Come out with it!"

_"He's waking up, you nimrod!"_ A beautiful Reploid named Peony slapped her clapped right in the face unintentionally, also being driven mad by the excitement in the air. "The captain's waking up!"

Indescribable oceans of crystallized dewdrops filled the eyes of Megaman X the very second Peony's words reached his ears. A gentle gasp left his mouth, and he began to tremble softly……

_Is this….is this….true?_

Axl clasped his hands together, once again unable to remove his eyes from the body of the Crimson Flame. His heart, which had been pounding so quickly just a few minutes ago, stopped right in its tracks. His eyes widened with excruciating tension-

The air was FILLED with thick tension. It was beyond unbearable.

"Is this….true?" X whispered, wanting to break down and cry because of the sobs wracking his body. His voice was quaky, hoarse and weak….

"Is this true? Is it really over?"

"I think so….." Axl replied, trying to ignore the possibility of dangerous side effects the program could have. "I….think….so…."

"All systems are green. Captain Zero is leaving the state of unconsciousness."

Once again, _no one_ could have described what occurred next.

-Hello to everyone! Big hugs all around. Thanks so much for the support and enthusiasm. This story started out really small, but now it's really big, and its something I'm proud of. I'm lucky to have many wonderful fans. I'm also honored by the requests to review other stories. All of you are like my big ol'family.


	28. Rejuvenation

The first face most babies see is the face of their mother, the very face of the one that delivered them, brought them into the world. It's the face of the one that's willing to nurture them, love them….and give them all of the devotion they need. Something similar to this happened between the Maverick Hunter called Zero…and the former member of the Red Alert Syndicate, Axl. The events that followed Gate's words caused many Reploids to break into sobs.

The eyes of the Maverick Hunter opened slowly, and he rubbed at them the way a child would when rising from slumber. At first, his vision was a little blurry….but then everything became perfectly clear. The first face his eyes fell on….was the face of the one that had saved his life. It was the face of the Reploid that had put everything on the line…just to save his life.

It was Axl's face.

The look on Zero's face bore a great resemblance to the look on a small puppy's face. His facial expression was beyond adorable. Confusion and shock were in his eyes, which were shimmering, heavenly jewels of twilight. The eyes of the Flame surpassed the beauty of the most beautiful diamonds….and the look on his face caused even more Reploids to burst into tears. The Maverick Hunter thought he was lost in a dream-the look in his eyes made that quite obvious. Normally, such a look would not have appeared on the face of great Hunter-that fact made things even more beautiful. The Reploid had been trapped within a cell of pain for an eternity spoke after a small period of silence….and the first word he said was-

"Axl?"

A huge smile broke out on the young Reploid's face. It was as if Zero had just walked through the door for a family reunion.

"Hey! Zero! Long time no see, right! Haven't heard from you in a while!"

That caused even more confusion to break out on the Hunter's face. His voice was incredibly soft…..the sound of his own voice surprised him.

"What's going on? You're behind this, aren't you?"

"Yep." The usual nonchalance had returned. The young one grinned at him casually, as if nothing important had taken place….but there were tears in his eyes.

"But……what is this? Am I….dreaming….or something? Are you guys playing some kind of trick on me?"

"Nope. Not really. This is the real deal, pal. You're alive and kickin'."

"But….how? This can't be right!"

Zero began to examine himself, which made even more Reploids break into tears. Watching him was like watching a newborn take its first steps into the world….and they all felt as if they had been reunited with a long-lost friend. The poor Maverick Hunter was definitely confused-he couldn't believe what was going on. He had spent many months in the clutches of the virus…..it couldn't be gone.

"This is some kind of freakin' dream. I know it is."

"Sorry, Zero, but Axl's right."

It was Dr.Cain. The comical professor placed a hand on Zero's shoulder, beaming with the warmest amount of affection. His eyes were warm, gentle jewels of sunlight…and his face was bright with joy. "You're awake, and that's all there is to it. Axl was able to find a cure for you. I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. Everything's done and taken care of."

The tears that filled the Hunter's eyes were so beautiful that they caused the hearts of every Reploid in the room to explode with an unbearable amount of happiness and shock. Zero's voice was still soft and weak…..it was like a piece of glass…..

"X?"

Megaman X's eyes, which had been closed because of the heavy amount of tears pouring from them, flew open and shot right over to the eyes of his dearest, precious friend. It had been an eternity since he had heard Zero's voice…..

"Yeah?"

"Is this true? Did Axl really-"

"Yeah." The legendary Maverick Hunter wanted to break down and CRY. Badly. "He did. It's true, Zero. He did."

Right after that, the blue Reploid fell to his knees and began to sob his heart out. He covered his face with his hands and cried. He cried so hard that his chest hurt, his eyes hurt…..he cried.

The nightmare was over.

It was actually over.

The warm eyes of the Crimson Flame went right back to Axl, who also wanted to break down and cry. The young one was beaming at him with the most beautiful smile-it was an indescribably warm, gentle, affectionate smile….

"Glad you're okay, bud. We missed you."

Those words made things even worse. The ocean of tears inside of the young one's heart became even larger-his chest was like an incredibly weak wall….and it was about to break. Zero smiled at his new friend through sheets of starlight….but a moment later, he released a playful sigh of anger.

"Well, what are you doing? Get over here!"

Axl's heart jumped in confusion. "Wha?"

"You heard what I said. Get over here. I can't walk over to you-I don't feel like I'm strong enough to carry a pebble, so get over here!"

The young one walked over to the place his new friend was resting in, smiling with the deepest amount of relief and happiness. What happened next took the cake. Zero embraced the young one and began to sob, unable to believe that the virus that had tormented him for so long, was actually GONE. Zero was definitely not the type of individual that broke down and cried-but he was sobbing on the shoulder of the one that had just restored his life. The sound of Zero's sobbing came as quite a surprise to everyone, and it…..was beyond beautiful….

The heart of the young Reploid called Axl united with the heart of the Crimson Flame. He felt calm, peaceful…..the happiness that filled his heart was an unbelievably beautiful amount of happiness. He never thought that such powerful joy existed before. He held onto his dear friend with closed eyes, emitting the warmth of a gentle parent….emitting the warmth of a true friend. He had never felt such warmth before….ever….

He had just saved the life of someone he met hours ago.

Sunlight flooded the entire Maverick Hunter base. Sunlight broke out from behind the black rainclouds, which had been hiding the true beauty of the heavens. Sunlight soared through the soul of the young Black Tiger, and filled his entire body. Tears fell from his eyes slowly and gently…..

Everything was all right now...

But……..there was still……

Sadness struck him like a ton of bricks, and his heart fell from blue skies.

There was still one problem.

_If I'm okay with the way things are, then whydo I feel so miserable?_

_-Running short on time right now. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Big hugs to everyone! To the Great One: PLEASE tell your Axl to kick Red to the curve! Burn him, watch him rot in his grave! Bad Red! Bad! Keep up the amazing work-your masterpiece is incredible. To Uzu-Chan: Hi! Please continue your story too! The Axls of the World need to stick together! To Star Ninja: HI! To everyone: HI! I'll update soon, and thank you! (is listening to Memories of Waves and Light from FFX-2)_


	29. Intermission

Hi to everyone out there! (waves) Big hugs to all. I just finished reading my reviews, and I read the latest chapter of the Great One's masterpiece, and right now I'm thinking to myself-this is what writing is all about.

It doesn't matter if we're just writing stories about already made characters. These stories are real, and they're bringing out a lot of real emotions.

I'm not only proud of my story, but I'm also proud ofeveryone else's storyas well. They shame all forms of description! About 'Complexity of a Soul'-I saw someone mention somewhere that the Great One is only fourteen years old-if that's true, then she's got nothing but gold mines coming her way. Normally, fourteen year olds don't write masterpieces. I am actually absorbed into every bit of her story. It's like she's Axl, and she's just sharing her life's story with us. Her story, to me, is NOT normal. Can anyone spell the word 'prodigy'? If you aren't at the age of fourteen, forgive me. I apologize. Your story is still one of the best I've ever read, in my whole life.

If my story had to run a race with yours, we would be neck-and-neck with each other.

But I would definitely vote for yours, heehee.

Prjct.War: I'm really glad I was able to pull of that last chapter! I did it! And I can't wait to get started on my X8 fic! Just so you know, Axl is going to be huge in that one too….hope you don't mind! Am I playing favorites? he's just sooo cute...

PRIVATE: Hi! I'm really glad I decided to accept anonymous reviews. I want everyone to be able to enjoy my story. Thanks for being such a wonderful fan! And my story is working its evil ways….

Star Ninja: You're right. Something isn't right with Axl? What could it be? Big hug to you!

MyGBAcanTalk: Hi! Glad you decided to pop in! Welcome! Yeah, the story's almost over….look, now I'm depressed…..I just now realized that! Waaaahhhh-thanks a lot…..

Uzu-Chan: Waaaah! (sends our searchlight) no more hyper-active uzu-chan...waaah! Hope uzu-chan's okay. Where you go! Hmmm……-

(This little intermission is dedicated to the Esteemed Khilai, Star Ninja, and To All of the Other MMX authors out there. May our stories live on FOREVER!)

Axl: Hey. (waves) I'd like to take this time to say…..(whips out guns) Kick Red's sorry little butt! All the way down to curve, baby! Yeee-haaaa!

X: Who are you speaking to, may I ask?

Axl: Don't know. Guess I'm talking to the other 'me'.

X: Oh, you're referring to the Axl in 'Complexity of a Soul', eh?

Axl: Yeah. (mutters under his breathe) That no good, low-down scumbag deserves t' die…

Zero: Geez, someone's being violent today…

Axl: Well, we've all gotta stick together, right? (has scary look in his eyes)

X: Well, anyways…..we just wanna say this to the Axl in 'Complexity of a Soul'-keep your head up, do what you know is right, and always stay true to yourself.

Zero: Sheesh, why doesn't he just slice the guy's head off already?

X: For your information, not every Reploid has a Z-Saber. And Red used to be a very dear friend of his.

Axl: (is still muttering to himself about the evils of Red)

X: Oh, and as for 'Why Won't Anyone Talk to Me?' fic…..

Axl: Why am I the one that's always getting screwed over?

Zero: Because you're fun to pick on. I mean that in a good way.

Axl: Ha ha. Very funny. (folds arms)

X: That is a good thing. That means you're well-liked by hundreds of individuals.

Axl: (narrows his eyes at him) Yeah, I guess. Hmm. (smiles)

Gaudile: (from Command Mission) Wicked awesome job everyone! Keep up the good work!

Axl: What are you doing here……?

Gaudile: This is my laboratory. Haven't you noticed yet? (turns on lights and reveals a karaoke room….)

Zero: Oh no…….it's too late...there's nowhere for me to run...

Gaudile: (sings high-pitched version of 'Unforgettable')

Zero: (screams) _**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-**_


	30. Distance

The celebration continued for quite some time, but all time had lost its meaning. The face of every Reploid was drenched in the very melodies of boundless happiness….all of them felt as if their dreams had come true, and everything was all right with the world. All of them were letting out the songs of their hearts and souls….there wasn't a single living being inside of the base that was ashamed to do so. Male Reploids were embracing and smothering other male Reploids in kisses, laughing and laughing. Some Reploids fell on the ground and did nothing but laugh, for that was all they could do. Other Reploids just broke down and wept their very eyes out….for that was all they could do.

It was a time of great emotion. Oceans of pristine dewdrops from the sunlight fell onto every heart, and warmed it with the greatest light of all:

The light of renewed hope.

Golden, serene sunlight was now covering the Maverick Hunter base, which had been drenched in bloodchilling darkness for what felt like an eternity. Just a few hours ago, every living being inside of the base was completely lost in the very emotion called 'sorrow'….but because of one young Reploid's actions, they were no longer caught in the very waves of blackness. Smiles were blossoming throughout the base the way newborn roses blossomed after a long Winter's storm…..laughter was like a cool Spring wind…..

Everyone had been given a new chance at life.

It was time to make dreams come to life…it was time to start living life to its fullest.

There wasn't a single individual that didn't believe that.

-Axl was standing right outside of the Infirmary door, lost in a whirlpool of thought. Time had passed, but to the young Reploid, time was non-existent. The wild cheering had died down….serenity was soaring throughout the halls of the Infirmary…..but the celebration was still going on in other parts of the base. After all, Zero did need his rest. A killer virus had just been removed from his body, and so he needed time to recover. The poor Maverick Hunter was perfectly fine now-just flat out exhausted. A baby would have beaten him in an arm wrestling competition-the Hunter knew that, and was definitely ashamed of that fact.

Zero had SUCH a big ego.

When the embrace he shared with Zero came to an end, he pushed Megaman X all the way over to Zero's resting place, so the legendary Maverick Hunter could have a chance to speak with the one he had missed DEARLY. It was an emotional reunion-X opened his mouth to speak, but not a single word was released. The only things that came out were sobs. Long….hard…sobs. He truly had missed Zero….the one he had worked with, the one he had shared so much with…..

_**Shared….so….much…..**_

The young Reploid released a soft sigh. His heart felt painfully heavy, and tears of sorrow were causing his eyes to shimmer with the sorrowful yet ethereal beauty of darkened crystals. He was exhausted, that was true…..but exhaustion wasn't the only problem. The problem went by a name, and the name was-

Red.

Axl felt lonely and distant….a part of him felt as if he really didn't even belong in the Maverick Hunter base. He kept the promises he had made to X….he saved Zero's life….but….what else was left? The two of them were a team. They had been a team long before he even started thinking about becoming a Hunter. He was supposed to back at the Red Alert Syndicate base, with his own family…..he solved everyone's problem, but….there wasn't anything left for him to go to. He was truly happy about Zero, and X meant a lot to him…..but what about him?

His family was gone.

All of the memories he had….all of the smiles, the tears……

All of those things….were gone. All of them…no longer meant anything.

The halls of the Infirmary were dark, but warm. There wasn't a single soul standing with him, or even near him.

He was all by himself.

Alone….

That word irritated him deeply. He wanted to shake of the feelings of loneliness and forlornness….but they just wouldn't go away. They refused to go away-it was as if his emotions had minds of their own. He wanted to throw away everything he had shared with Red…with every other member of the Syndicate….but the memories….

Were etched into his mind.

_I think I need to talk a walk. This isn't working._

Tiny sobs were still wracking his body. He still wanted to break down and cry over the restored life of his new friend……..but now he also wanted to shed tears over the lost promises Red had given him. A small sigh drifted from his mouth….and his walk through the halls began…but a minute later-

_"Axl!"_

The young one gasped and turned right around.

The voice belonged to none other than X. He had called out to him.

The look on the Hunter's face caused even more tears to rush into his eyes. It was excruciatingly hard to describe-the Hunter looked like a homeless young man that had just won a million dollars, and a new car. He looked like someone had just given the greatest treasure life had to offer…..he looked as if he wanted to fall to his knees and spend the next two hours sobbing. Empyrean sunlight was in the eyes of the gentle Hunter….and oceans were shining in his eyes. Confusion was in his eyes….he looked the way Zero did when he rose from slumber-lost and awkward. Axl gave him one of his nonchalant, merry grins and waved.

"Yeah?"

That word was like an arrow to X's heart.

Axl had saved the life of his dearest friend. He had put so much on the line, just to restore the life of someone he barely even knew. Zero's virus hadn't been any of his business-it shouldn't have been any of his business. The kid could have turned away from the entire situation and focused on his desire to become a Hunter.

But he _**didn't.**_

**And all he could say was 'yeah'?**

X ran over to his friend and embraced him, not wanting to release him. The Hunter resumed sobbing, unable to speak to the one he owed so much to. X's cries were hoarse and plentiful……and so it was difficult for the Black Tiger to restrain any of his tears. The young Reploid held onto him tightly, the same way he had held Zero back in the ICU room……..

A few minutes later, X regained enough strength to speak.

"Thank you….."

"Aw, you're welcome." There was that irritating nonchalance again. "I told you I would find a cure, didn't I? Pretty good, aren't I?"

"You didn't have to, Axl….you really didn't…."

"But I wanted to. It's just like I said in the beginning-I wanted to save Zero so I could become friends with you two." The young Reploid shrugged, smiling as if he had done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING important. "I kept the promise I made, and I'm glad I did. Glad everything's okay now."

The Maverick Hunter frowned at him. His body felt incredibly heavy….and his vision was blurry…..because of the tears he had shed. "Is there something wrong?" he asked the young one, his eyes shining with concern.

Axl reeled back at this question. X knew that something was wrong-it was as if the Hunter could feel the loneliness of his heart. A second later the smile of casualness returned to his face. "Not really. Everything's cool on my end." the young Reploid said, and placed an arm about his friend's shoulders.

"Hey. I have an idea. Why don't you stay here and kick it with Zero? I'll take care of the rest, okay?"

Small flames lit up X's eyes, and he cringed at those very words. His reaction wouldn't have been any different if Axl had told him to eat slugs.

"Take care of what?"

"You know, the rest of the Syndicate. I'll pay a visit to Sigma when I'm done with the others."

Now he had gone _**too**_ far.

Axl was _**UNBELIEVABLE!**_ The young Reploid had just finished curing Zero, and now he wanted to take care of everything else! X almost laughed at his friend's words!

The Maverick Hunter pulled away from his dear friend, his face drenched in hard confusion and frustration. "I don't believe this!" he shouted, not realizing that his voice was at a high volume. "I really don't get you. You just saved Zero's life, you saved MY life, and NOW you want to do everything ELSE! _Why don't you just bring an end to world pollution and hunger while you're at it!"_

A frown grew on the young one's face, and the uneasiness he had felt a while ago with X rushed right back. "Uhhh……X….?"

X smiled at him, but the smile wasn't pleasant. "Why don't you, eh! You want to take care of everyone's problems, don't you! You want to bring an end to everyone's problems but you don't care about yourself! _**Not at all!"**_

Those words caused X to break into more tears. He wasn't sobbing the way he had just a few seconds ago, but each and every teardrop felt like a boulder of steel….and so did his heart. Every teardrop contained anger….devotion…confusion….and affection. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Axl looked at him, bearing a great resemblance to a puppy that had just committed a crime, but was totally clueless about it. X covered his face with his hands and slowly fell to his knees….

"You don't make any sense. None at all. Why? Why is that?"

"Because….." Axl's voice was firm and strong. "I just want the ones I love to be happy."

More darts.

"So what about _**you? **_You're just going to hide everything away, is that it?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's like you said-I don't want……anyone to worry about me. I really don't. I just want my pals to be happy."

A part of X wanted to beat the living crap out of the young Reploid.

The other part wanted to embrace the young one and thank him for his concern.

Things became even worse a moment later.

"I can take care of myself. I really am glad Zero's okay."

He really, REALLY wanted to tear the young one apart.

"Look. I'd better get going. Time doesn't wait for anyone. I guess everyone knows that by now, eh?"

He whipped out both of his guns, twirled them on his fingers, blew them off and winked.

"I'll catch you later. If you guys wanna tag along later, feel free to do so. That would be great. I'm really psyched up about seeing Zero in action anyway."

"Axl, wait."

"What's up now?"

"……….I have………one last thing…..to say."

"What's that?"

"I…….hope…….you can….work things out with Red. I really do."

Axl's face became bright with shock for a moment, then sorrow dominated all parts of his body. He turned away from the Hunter, not wanting him to see his facial expression……but the tone of his voice…..gave X everything he needed.

"X……I saw him. I saw him…..a little while ago….when I was pulling up the cure for Zero…and you know what? I don't think I'm getting him back."

X's heart dropped a million miles, but Axl wasn't willing to let him speak.

"Catch ya later."

It….was….all…..just…too sad to bear.

Axl had given him back everything he treasured….but the young one…didn't have what he wanted. Red left him-that was painfully clear.

He probably didn't even care about becoming a Hunter anymore.

The Hunter watched the young one disappear into the sunlight of the base….but he knew that Axl wasn't a part of the golden light. He was away from it, distant….and lonely. He wanted to tell Axl that he would always be around for him, always be willing to comfort him….but……the young one already knew that. He knew X cared for him, he knew Zero cared for him. And he loved the two Hunters as if they were his own brothers.

Red………

_I've got to do something. I can't let things sit like this._

_It'll be a while before Zero is able to rise from sleep. I've got to try something before he awakens. I have to._

_Axl can't go on like this. I don't want him to._

A bright light went off inside of the Hunter's mind.

_I know what I can do. I have to make an attempt at something._

-It's true-the story is coming right down to the wire. It's almost at its end. That fact is making me very sad right now, since I've worked so hard at this. I wonder if all of you feel the same way about your stories.


	31. Injustice

One hour passed.

The skies hovering above the Lava Energy Factory were dark, immeasurable abysses of black emotions. The winds were cold and harsh, but at the same time, they were also unbearably hot. There were black and silver clouds in the sky, but they did not hold waves of raindrops-instead, they were the havens of thunder and lighting. Once again, the young Reploid called Axl was out in the middle of another storm….the atmosphere surrounding the Maverick Hunter base had been so quiet, soft and serene…..

The atmosphere of the Lava Factory was anything BUT peaceful.

Alia had given him the information on the latest activity. The Lava Factory located in the city of Utopia had been taken over by a member of Red Alert, and the problems that had risen needed to be taken care of. She too noticed that something was wrong with him, but he completely blew everything off and went on his way, determined to put down someone he used to know as a friend.

There was something wrong with him.

He felt lonely, deserted…..broken….

Because someone went and threw away the promises he had given.

His friends didn't need to worry about him. They had their own situations to deal with. And Zero was all right now, so it was a time to rejoice and celebrate. Besides, the Red Alert Syndicate was his problem. He used to be a member of the Syndicate, Red and Sigma were after HIM…..

The situation with the Syndicate revolved around him, yet he wanted no one to worry about him.

The Reploids of the Maverick Hunter base didn't need to dirty their hands with his problems. He wanted them to concentrate on Zero, who had barely escaped the clutches of death by a mere centimeter. He wanted to take care of everything….on his own.

He craved the company of Megaman X, and he definitely wanted to hear Zero's voice. The chances he took to speak with the Crimson Flame were small and short, yet deep and meaningful. He developed a strong affection for Zero the very second his eyes fell on him for the first time, and the desire to become friends with him forever was definitely like a flame in his heart. The Hunter's voice was rough and bold, yet soft and gentle at the same time. It was weird, yet comforting….it was a nice fact to think about.

Twenty minutes passed.

The thunder of the clouds began to fall from the clouds that hovered over the factory.

Axl approached the entrance, wanting to speak to at least one of the two Hunters, but at the moment, that wasn't possible. He could sense the presence of several Reploids, but nothing could be seen……it was as if there was an army lurking in the shadows…waiting to spring out at him. Still unable to shake off the feeling of loneliness, the young one entered the factory, ready to complete his newest mission.

He had been nicknamed 'The Black Tiger' by Red…..

But at the moment he felt like a kitten.

He unsheathed one of his guns and twirled it around on his finger, the way he always did-

But not even that worked.

-Thirty minutes.

Megaman X landed right in front of the Red Alert homebase entrance, greatly confused by its almost comical, unbelievable appearance. Dark rainclouds surrounded the entire building….there were dim rays of light streaming from the windows….

It STILL looked like a haunted house.

The Maverick Hunter's eyes scanned the entire building the very way an eagle's eyes rushed over its new home. For a minute, he tried to figure out the very meaning of the base's appearance-it was as if someone was really trying to play a bad joke or something….

_Okay. Gawking time is over. Time to get in there._

X slowly entered the base, keeping his eyes wide open, and his ears completely alert. He could sense the presence of evil forces, but could see no one at the moment. The halls of the base seemed to be infinite, and darkness was streaming through each and every nook and cranny….the entire base really was like a haunted house….but the time for jokes had come to an end. X knew that his "old friend" Sigma was responsible for the appearance of the base.

Cold winds brushed by the Hunter, and distant voices reached his ears. The voices that touched him confused him-there wasn't a single soul in sight, and all of the rooms were dark. It was almost like…..the memories that had been created inside of the base were reaching him…..and so were all of the emotions that had been created. Five minutes passed before he reached the room Axl had found the cure in-

A smile of sadness blossomed on his face. The computer screen was still on and beaming.

_He must have worked really hard._

After thinking of the last conversation he had with Axl, he trudged onward, searching for the very one his friend had lost. Cold silence continued to burn into him, but nothing could stop his heart from singing. His best friend was going to be with for quite some time-he was going to make sure of that. He would be seeing him again soon, and the Crimson Flame was going to be back on his feet. And as for Axl?

He meant so much to the legendary Maverick Hunter….but it wasn't just because of what he had done.

The young one made him feel safe and secure….the way a mother made her infant feel safe and warm. Everything about him made his heart feel warm. Axl was brave-the bravest Reploid he had ever met. He was also one of the strongest Reploids he had ever met, and was definitely a genius. Words left the mouth of the Hunter in a gentle whisper-

"Heh. You would make a good researcher, Axl."

Seven minutes.

X came upon a room that was filled with the bright lights of many computers. It was obviously another room filled with a large amount of data…..but was there anyone inside?

Cautiously he walked inside, looking around at his surroundings. His heart began to pound on the drums of anxiety slowly….but the tension wasn't the kind of tension he had been trapped in for such a long time. He felt like one of the clueless individuals of a horror movie-he was a teenager walking into a room…the very room the killer was hiding in. The very thing Axl had restored swelled up inside of him-

Hope.

"Who are you!"

A sharp gasp tore itself from the mouth of the Hunter, and his eyes widened in surprise. He prepared himself for an attack, but lowered his buster the very second the speaker emerged from the shadows of the room. He spoke to the speaker, his voice filled with relief.

"Red!"

The leader of the Red Alert Syndicate walked up to the newcomer, wearing a cruel, vicious smile. X thought of the way he had looked during the transmission he sent to Headquarters-

Red looked like a bloodthirsty demon then-

And he looked like one now.

"So it's you, Megaman X. How fortunate. I was just thinking of you."

X frowned. Red bore a great resemblance to Sigma.

"I've been thinking of you for a short while, Red. But I'll let you speak first. Explain yourself. What do you want with me?"

Red delivered a pleasant smile, but it was like the smile from a cat to a mouse. "Hmm. That's easy. I would like to have a piece of your DNA. Sounds easy enough, doesn't it?"

X's voice grew cold-dangerously cold. It didn't match the ferocity of Axl's-Axl's fierceness was IMPOSSIBLE to match, but his voice was still pretty harsh.

"Not really. I'm not giving you anything. The same goes for Sigma. Axl told me that you ran into him a short while ago."

"Yes, he did. I asked him to give me pieces of your DNA-oh, and Zero's too, but the little insect refused to do anything for me. Filthy piece of garbage….I should have ripped him apart when he turned me down."

The tone of Red's voice disgusted X immeasurably. An extremely high level of hatred rose into the eyes of the Hunter, and his heart began to pound upon the drum of both disbelief and scorn. "That's DISGUSTING." he shouted out at Red hatefully, his eyes glowing in the fashion of a black panther's. "You're sick, you know that? Axl misses you! You obviously spent a lot of time as friends, but now you're throwing all of the times you two shared away! You're pathetic! He needs you! Don't you care at all!"

Silence flooded the very room they were in…..but it was…..serene silence…..

A few minutes passed……before Red hung his head. That action caused X's eyes to widen in confusion…..what was he thinking of?

"X….."

Red's voice was deep and sorrowful…….

It was filled with regret.

The eyes of the Maverick Hunter became beautiful, solid pools of empyrean light.

_"Huh?"_

The eyes of Red met his a moment later…..and the emotions that were soaring through them filled X's eyes with more tears. The leader of the Red Alert Syndicate spoke to him……..and the words he gave to him caused his heart to break.

"It's……too late for me now."

"What? What are you saying!" Oceans of tears flew from the Hunter's eyes…his teardrops lingered in the air, shining like drops of starlight...

"I don't understand! What do you mean, it's too late! Didn't you hear anything I said! Axl NEEDS you! Don't YOU miss HIM!"

"X………I can't go back. It's over. The two of us are on different paths now. It's done. I can do nothing to bring the past to the present, or to the future. Axl…..must fly on his own now."

_**"YOU AREN'T BEING FAIR!"**_

X knew he sounded like a child that wasn't getting his way, but he wasn't willing to control his emotions. He felt as if Red had betrayed HIM. He cared for Axl DEEPLY, and Axl needed Red so much…….

_**"YOU AREN'T BEING FAIR AT ALL! IT ISN'T TOO LATE! IF YOU STILL CARE ABOUT HIM, TELL HIM! DON'T LEAVE HIM ALONE! YOU AREN'T MAKING ANY SENSE!"**_

Red didn't budge.

"It's over now. There isn't anything I can do. It's time for him to spread his own wings and fly…..and besides…..he has you to watch over him now. He needs me no longer."

X's chest began to burn all over again, with endless waves of tears...

His dear friend was suffering…….

But Red was unwilling to return to his side…..

_"Axl……Axl………"_

_I……I'm sorry……I……really am………._

_**"I'm so sorry………."**_


	32. Loneliness

Hello, and big hugs to everyone out there. I'd really like to thank all of you for your wonderful reviews. The type of reviews I am receiving really are the type of reviews that make a writer want to keep on writing. Yes, this story is halfway over…..that fact makes me really sad, since it feels like I just started on this fic last week. Time really isn't anyone's friend, and since this fic is almost over, I would like to hear everyone's thoughts on it. Speaking of everyone…I wonder where my good friend Uzu-chan went. I hope she's okay.

To Shifu (PRIVATE): Thanks a lot! I'm really glad you liked my chapters. I'm really happy that I was able to pull of Red very well. I actually thought I did a bad job on him, especially compared to the Red of 'Complexity of a Soul'!

To Prjct.War: Go ahead and rip Red's head off. While you're at it, take every Red's head off. Heehee. Sorry, but that other story kinda made me develop hatred towards the name 'Red'…..

To the Great Khilai: I cannot thank you enough for your all of your words! But there is something I do not understand-you're a fourteen year old high-school student, and yet you're writing sentences that would make a thirty-year old college professor's eyes widen. What, did your mother eat a dictionary before you were brought into this world!

_I bet the very first book you read was the dictionary! And after that you went straight to the thesaurus!_

And my fic is the first fic you've read? I am honored to be the author of this fic then. I hope that my fic somehow inspired yours. I am saddened by the fact that this experience is almost over, but when your fic ends, the whole world will fall into mourning. Thank you very much for pointing out everything you liked about my recent chapters. You wanna know how and why I end my chapters the way I do? I actually gain my inspiration from exciting anime shows and books I read, and from my own inability to wait. I love watching and seeing cliffhangers, even though they irritate me to no end. But they are so exciting! For every chapter I just cut off the string when I know it's right, so I can leave all of my fans hanging by a mere thread! Hahahahahaha-

To MyGBAcanTalk: Oh no! I hope you do not get into any trouble. Please don't trouble yourself! Everything's cool-I understand why you had to wait. I used to have the same kind of problems myself, EVERY SINGLE DAY……

And To Khilai and All of You Out There: _**LONG REVIEWS ARE NOT A PROBLEM. I PREFER LONG REVIEWS TO SHORT ONES, BECAUSE I CAN FIND OUT WHAT YOU GUYS LIKE AND WHY. ONCE AGAIN, LONG REVIEWS AREN'T A PROBLEM! **_(smiles and bows)-

The inside of the Lava Factory caused the young Black Tiger to think of an enormous volcano. A hundred shades of red were all over the walls of the factory, and the heat of the atmosphere was beyond intense. The air was thick with the smell of fiery anticipation….and millions of flames were dancing throughout the endless realm of red twilight. Silence was soaring through the entire place-the only things that were making themselves heard were the small flames. The silence, however, did not eliminate the fact that Axl could sense the presence of evil forces-there were shadows lurking in the darkness….and they were waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. As he made his way through the factory, he waited for his new friends to launch their attack, so he could put them right out of their misery. He was in no mood for games-the look in his eyes would have made that perfectly clear to anyone with half a brain. His eyes were calm, yes, but they were also filled with the very same determination that also moved X to tears. There were also other emotions behind the determination….sadness, regret…..and hatred. The young one was still unable to shake of the uneasiness and loneliness his heart was experiencing, but a part of him really didn't want to. He want to be near a friend-any friend.

Everything he had gone through with Red caused his self-esteem to shoot itself down.

He knew that everything Red said about wasn't true. He knew that he was strong, strong enough to take care of himself….he knew that he shared wonderful memories, wonderful days with him…..

_"You worthless piece of garbage!"_

_"I should have left you out in the street to rot!"_

The smiles, the tears that had fallen…..all of the peaceful days he had shared with Red….

Were gone.

It was as if Axl had created some type of false reality for himself……

Everything was…..gone.

He wanted to be near the Hunter called X, the one had come to mean so much to him. The Hunter was always worried about him, and he cared for him deeply. He wanted to hear the voice of the Hunter called Zero….

He barely knew that Maverick Hunter but he truly wanted to become a very dear friend of his.

Red had abandoned him….and so now it was time to fly…on his own. He wanted to shake off everything that was tormenting him….but at the moment, it was extremely difficult to do so. He knew he had to keep on flying…he knew he had to stay strong….in order to protect the ones he loved, the ones he cared for more than life itself….

His two new friends X and Zero.

Thirty minutes flew by like cold, icy winds of the darkest winter. Darkness engulfed the entire factory in a flash, surprising the young one greatly. The only things that were visible were the oceans of red fire streaming through out the realm of black eternity…..the roars of the flames touched his ears the way a cobra's teeth pierced the skin of a child…..

_What's going on?_

A devilish voice reached his ears, causing blades of poison to shoot right into his heart.

"Heh heh heh……why hello there, my little friend."

The eyes of the young one widened, and he swiftly scanned his surroundings the way a frightened eagle looked about its new environment. His heart began to pound upon the drums of suspense madly, as if it wanted to escape from its prison……apprehension rose into the young one's eyes, but that was simply because he had lost the ability to see. Anger dominated the anxiety instantly.

_**"I'm in no mood for games, pal, so you'd better show yourself, NOW!"**_

The young one's voice would have melted the coldest block of steel.

Hundreds of vermillion red flames shot up around him and almost consumed him. The young one could feel the heat of every flame…..and the ability to breathe was distant. The roars of the flames became even louder….it was as if they were trying to speak to him-

"Oh, but you're going to like the party I have planned, my dear guest!"

The heart of the young Tiger jolted with excruciating pain, and a gasp ripped itself from his throat. His eyes became beautiful, shimmering jewels of tension….they put the most beautiful sapphires to shame…..

"I'd like to have a little fun with you. Why don't we start now, hmmm?"

The voice belonged to none other than Flame Hyenard, who, of course, had once been an ally of Axl's. But when the ocean of flames parted, the young one saw something that horrified him. Hyenard was no longer the Hyenard he knew. The Reploid's eyes bore a great resemblance to the red eyes of a black dragon….and he had the appearance of a black-hearted vampire.

Hyenard looked like a demon that had just emerged from the underworld.

And there was another problem. A few more problems, actually.

There wasn't just one Hyenard. There were four.

Hundreds of flames continued to surround the young Reploid. Each and every flame was excruciatingly hot…..and flames seemed to be falling from the ceiling……the oceans of flames continued to roar……

**And the demons continued to look down upon him.**

Hyenard's voice was the type of voice that would cause an infant to break into tears. It was the voice of a true demon……..

Sigma had gotten to him. The evil ex-Maverick Hunter had worked his magic on him.

_**"Let's dance, old friend, for the sake of old times!"**_

The oceans surrounding him continued to scream……flames surrounded him…..the ability to breathe was no longer in existence……the ability to see clearly was gone….there wasn't anywhere for him to go….

Axl's eyes shimmered like moonlit sapphires, filled with the light of intense apprehension. He was trapped, trapped like a mouse in a cage-or in this case, trapped like a kitten in cage. He had not a single option-he could hover in the air, but only for a few moments-

Hyenard swept the young Reploid into his arms, soared high into the air, and plunged towards the ground at the speed of light. The young one couldn't break free, and the grip Hyenard had on him was dealing out an unbearable amount of pain.

His heart jolted as soon as he realized that Hyenard was diving _**right for the oceans of lava.**_

Hyenard would be able to survive a plunge into the lava. He knew that.

_**He was trapped, definitely trapped like a kitten in a corner.-**_


	33. Heart

_**Hey to everyone! I'm a little ticked off at the moment-I feel like I'm fuming. I just read the now-popular review from Lyza about Khilai's story, and here's what I have to say: what a no-good jackass! Sorry, but no one has the right to throw their prissy attitudes around, NO ONE! She said a lot of unnecessary things-I know she didn't attack me or my story, but I feel like she did, so I've got something to say about it! Khilai isn't lying about anything-you've got no right to put down people that use their talents! I know a lot of fourteen year olds are bratty and snobby, and the only things they care about are boys! But that's what makes Khilai so amazing! She writes like a thirty year old! She isn't like every other kid out there!**_

_**People like you definitely disgust me! You shouldn't even be allowed to look at this place. You're obviously nothing but a snot-faced loser, or else you'd be able to appreciate something that was created by a very young but very talented kid. I'm not just speaking to Lyza, but to ALL OF HER PALS THAT AGREE WITH HER! Why don't you go spend your time elsewhere? We have no need for hateful comments here. If you want to attack me, Miss Prissy Princess, go right ahead. Give me your best shot. That goes for all of the other creeps out there. If you want a really cute, happy fairy tale, go read Thumbelina or something. And deal with your insecurities somewhere else.**_

As for the new "Red" party: YAHOOOOOO! YES, THE TREND HAS FINALLY PICKED UP! EVERYONE, LET'S GO TO THE STORE AND BUY LOTS OF GASOLINE! You'll find out why I need it later….(smiles while holding a box of matches)

There are only a few chapters left. I am very sad indeed.

-

The winds of deadly fear whirled in Axl's heart for what felt like several years. Time flew by at the speed of light as he was forced to plunge towards the vermillion oceans of fate...he made an attempt to escape, but escape was not possible for two reasons. The grip Hyenard had on him was beyond painful-the young one felt as if he was being crushed between two boulders because of the power of Hyenard's grip, and the emotions that were currently swirling around in him didn't help anything. The young one was still upset, still lonely, still sorrowful….everything that had happened with Red created a ton of steel in his chest, and there wasn't a single friend in sight.

Seconds flew by at the speed of sound. The heat surrounding him became even stronger…..

Ten seconds later, a miracle occurred. The most beautiful sight Axl had ever seen appeared.

A wave of beautiful, heavenly yellow light pierced the young one's eyes, and the sound of a blade ripping apart the body of his enemy met his ears. The wave of light caused small streams of golden yellow glitter to flow through the air swiftly and silently…..and the light caused him to think of the heavens.

It was as if the light had descended from the wings of an angel.

Before he knew it, he was swept away in the arms of another Reploid, but the Reploid definitely wasn't Hyenard. Without even recognizing the face of his rescuer, he looked back at the place the golden yellow wave had come from, and saw the most phenomenal thing. Hyenard's body had been torn in two…..both pieces hovered in the air for a minute, and then they quickly fell into the hot depths of eternity.

But that wasn't the phenomenon.

A Reploid with red and white armor was hovering in the air, holding a magnificent green saber in his hands, and wearing a smug, calm look on his face. He had a long, golden yellow ponytail, which shimmered like the beams of the brightest sun. His eyes were filled with an indescribable amount of fire, but the fire was calm and serene, like the breezes of a summer night. His armor defied all comprehension-it was shimmering with an aura that shamed even the most beautiful pearl. There was a small smile on this Reploid's face, and the smile matched the emotions of his eyes. A smile bloomed on Axl's face when he realized that the Reploid was none other than-

_"Zero!"_

"Looks like we got here just in time." The Crimson Flame said softly, and waved at the one that had given him so much just a short while ago. His voice was definitely the voice of a true warrior-calm and filled with the song of triumph-but at the same time, it was warm, like the voice of a parent comforting a small child.

"Hey there, Axl. You hurt?"

"No. Not really."

Right then and there the young one noticed his other rescuer.

"Good. Why don't you sit this one out. We'll handle this."

"X!"

Megaman X smiled at him warmly, feeling his heart sink under waves of pure happiness and sunlight. The young Reploid always made him feel safe, secure and strong….X had become quite fond of the young runaway, and wanted no one else to harm him. He knew Axl was strong enough to take care of himself, but he wanted to protect him…..since he had been struck down by the one he cared for so much. "Greetings, young Axl." the Hunter said to him gently, beaming. "Glad you're all right."

"X." Zero said to his dear friend, his eyes shining like the eyes of a hungry lion. "Why don't you take Axl somewhere safe? I'll make this a solo act."

The eyes of the young one widened in surprise, and he immediately decided to object. He really did enjoy helping others out, and besides, the members of the Red Alert Syndicate used to be his allies, so why did the two Maverick Hunters have to do anything? Hyenard was his business!

"But-"

The soft eyes of Megaman X became as hard and cold as ice, but the love within his heart remained. His voice was no different from the voice of an affectionate mother trying to protect her child, and his eyes would have made anyone think of two green emeralds soaking in the waves of topaz blue skylight. They were definitely warm and gentle gemstones of true devotion.

"I KNEW you were going to object. Why can't you just sit down and relax for a moment! A mere moment! That's all we're asking for!"

The protesting continued. Axl definitely wasn't comfortable with sitting on the sidelines.

"But-"

"You're right, X." the Crimson Flame said, folding his arms. "Th' kid's definitely stubborn."

"Listen. You've done MORE than enough, so quiet yourself for a minute! Please, do me just one last favor! Relax!"

"X-"

"For crying out loud. Look." The soft-hearted Hunter placed an arm about the young one's shoulders. His eyes began to shimmer like two stars hovering over a serene meadow…..and his voice became as soft as a flower petal. X truly had become very fond of his new friend…..and wanted him to rest...after everything he had done.

"Let Zero take care of this one. Please. You've done enough for right now, and Zero was locked up for quite a while. This is his chance to refresh his skills. And besides, don't you want to see him in action?"

The young one wrestled with his uneasiness for a moment. X was right. He had a burning desire to his hero in action. He knew how strong X was, and now he had the chance to see Zero perform….but still he was uncomfortable with having someone else take care of his business. He wanted no one to take on his burden….

"Yaawwwwwwnnnnnnn-"

"Oh, be quiet, you." X snapped at his dearest friend playfully, savoring the sound of the Crimson Flame's voice. His precious friend had always been irritated and impatient-there wasn't anything different going on…..

But the eyes of the amazing Maverick Hunter were filled with the most precious treasure life had to offer.

Devotion.

His eyes were fiery, red-hot gems of unparalleled strength and beauty. There wasn't a single gemstone that could rival the starlight within his eyes...he was like a tiger, ready to attack an unsuspecting victim….but at the same time, he was like a small, crystal white feather-soft, gentle, and flowing with the winds of boundless time. His Saber was still in his hands…..

"Can't wait all day, y'know. Just give me the word already."

Happiness and relief united on the face of the blue Maverick Hunter, and those two emotions gave him the warmth of golden, sandy shores. He looked back at Axl, who stayed silent, and then gave a thumbs-up to his dearest friend, the Maverick Hunter called Zero. The living, breathing phenomenon didn't waste a second. With his golden yellow ponytail streaming out behind him, he rushed out at the remaining Flame Hyenards, his eyes glowing perilously.

He looked like a black panther, ready and willing to strike out at its prey.

X quickly took Axl out of harm's way. The place he chose was a perfect place-the oceans of fire weren't unbearably hot in the chosen area, and they could see the battle perfectly. Both of them watched Zero battle Hyenard in silence, unable to speak because of the magnificence of the Maverick Hunter. There were three Hyenards left-but none of them could match the skill and grace of the Hunter.

Samurais were swift, deadly, elegant and powerful. Zero was no different from the greatest samurai-he took out his enemies with an indescribable amount of speed, style and power. The battle was only a minute long, but it was definitely one of the greatest battles either one of them had ever seen. The Maverick Hunter called Zero was definitely someone that should not be taken lightly-he had the ability to move beyond the speed of light, and his strength would have made an army of black demons run for shelter. Axl was amazed by the performance his new friend had delivered-being able to see his hero in action was wonderful. But….there was something strange about the power coursing through the Flame's veins.

"Well now. That's the end of that."

Zero sheathed his Saber, satisfied with what he had done, but also acting like he had just taken a bag of popcorn out of the microwave. He made his way to his two friends in no more than a moment, smiling triumphantly with a hand on his hip.

"Wow. Being able to breathe is great. Being able to walk again isn't too bad, either. It's sad how much you guys take for granted."

"Whatever…" X muttered under his breath, stifling laughter and shaking his head. Axl gave his new friend a high-five, beaming with joy. He bore the appearance of a child that had just finished his first trip to a brand-new world.

"Way to go! You were awesome out there!"

Zero smiled at the young one warmly, feeling the affection he had for him increase. Axl was like a little brother to him….and he had never had a brother before. "Thanks." he said, feeling a little embarrassed because of the praise he had received. The fact that he had never been embarrassed by anything in his life before just made it the embarrassment increase-soft laughter left the handsome Hunter's mouth and drifted away into the silent, calm air. X asked him a question a moment later-

"But Zero…..were you……you weren't always…..that powerful….were you?"

"Nope."

Zero removed his Z-Saber once again. The Hunter was beyond cool-the sound his Saber made when it was removed from its sheath was amazing. And….there was something different about his Saber. It was a strong, powerful beam of immense energy….unbreakable, immeasurable power….

The power of his Saber came from his emotions, and the strength flowing through his body.

Apparently, the Crimson Flame was feeling pretty happy.

Axl watched his two friends coverse with each other. Both of them were incredibly happy…..and they were no different from brothers that had spent two million years away from each other. The eyes of Megaman X were bright, radiant stars of joy, and his voice was also radiant with happiness. The placid, strong Zero was a quiet yet luminescent wind of happiness-there were tears in the Hunter's beautiful eyes, and there was a small yet deep smile on his face. Both of them were…..

Happy.

"I haven't always been this strong, you know. I've never felt like this before."

"Really!" X was like a child at an ice cream store. Weird, but true-the Hunter was happy to have his friend back….and Zero's coolness always brought a bright smile to his heart. "Wow. I bet you're able to take out an entire planet now, huh?"

"Why in the hell would I want to do that?"

"Sheesh, I didn't say you have to. I just wanted to say something about your new strength. Besides, there aren't any empty, unoccupied planets around yet."

"I can think of one."

"Wh-" X stopped himself before it was too late. He knew Zero was going to crack a joke about him. "Okay. Don't even go there." the blue Hunter said to him firmly, listening to his laughter. "I already know what you're going to say, so stuff it."

"Well, it's true. Your skull is an unoccupied planet."

The blue Maverick Hunter tried to growl at him the way a dog would growl at an intruder, but the growling didn't last longer than two minutes. Waves of laughter replaced the comical attack…..and the laughter from X sent Zero into a small fit of laughter. Tears streamed down their faces as the uncontrollable laughter consumed them……but the laughter only lasted for a few seconds. Arrows of sorrow pierced both of their hearts when they noticed the look on Axl's face.

The young one looked lost and sorrowful……he was a million miles away from the two Maverick Hunters……and his heart was lost under an everlasting sea of loneliness. He bore a great resemblance to a tiny puppy that had been left all alone in the pet store-his eyes were filled with tears….and he looked sad and lonely. X's heart went right out the to young one, and regret instantly made itself known on Zero's face. "Axl…." the blue Maverick Hunter said to his dear friend gently, feeling tears rush into his own eyes.

"I-"

The young one smiled and waved a hand at them, but the smile was definitely weak.

"It's okay. Go right ahead. Don't stop because of me."

That just made everything even worse.

Zero's eyes became soft, luminous jewels of infinite devotion….and sadness. "I apologize, Axl." the Hunter said to him gently. "I truly am sorry. We didn't mean to leave you out of anything. We came here to rescue you, didn't we?"

Axl wanted to fall to his knees and cry his eyes out-that was clear. The look on his face made that fact apparent to both Hunters.

"Yeah. I understand. It's okay, really. I know how you guys are feeling right now, seriously. I mean, you just got each other back, you know? You should celebrate. I mean, the two of you have been working with each other for a long time. Don't let me get in the way."

X's eyes widened in the greatest amount of shock, and his mouth fell right open. "What!" the Hunter cried out in disgust. "I can't believe you just said that! You're not in anyone's way! Why, don't you give yourself ANY credit for anything! You're always throwing dirt on yourself!"

"I'm sorry, X…..it's just…..I don't know……..I don't……"

Silence crushed all three of them for a moment, stirring up excruciating emotions inside every heart. Zero's heart sank under unbearable sadness…..X's heart also sank under the same black waves of darkness….but at the same time……eternal hatred developed….and that hatred was directed not only at Red, but at Sigma as well….

"You guys……..I don't……care about being a Maverick Hunter anymore….."

_**"WHAT!"**_ Both of them cried out simultaneously. Zero took the baton and spoke next.

_**"What are you saying! Do you know what you've done, or are you completely BLIND!"**_

"I'm serious. You guys don't have to make me anything if you don't want to. I mean it."

"But wha-"

X cut Zero off in a hot second. "So what are you saying!" the Hunter shouted, his voice filled with both infinite sorrow and fury. "You're telling us that we should just throw you out when all of this is over?"

Axl lowered his head.

"I just….don't want you guys…….to leave me, you know?"

"Leave you!" Zero released a heavy sigh of frustration. "Why in the hell would we LEAVE you!"

X's heart shattered into a million pieces as the young Reploid fell to the ground. The eyes of the Hunter became eternal, solid pools of celestial light…..tears began to descend from them swiftly….and his blood froze because of devastating sorrow….

"I just want…..friends to be with. I'll take care of you guys, I promise…..just…don't leave me alone….okay?"

That was the straw that broke every camel's back.

Axl covered his face with his hands and began to sob heavily. X fell to his knees and embraced the young one, sobbing softly…..Zero embraced the young one a second later, feeling his heart crack in the clutches of intolerable sadness. The two Hunters held onto the young one that had just saved their lives a short while ago…….

The young one that had just been abandoned by the very one he called 'father'.-


	34. Devotion

Hey. To the Great Khilai: There is no need for an apology. Everything's okay. Deleting the review probably would have made things harder on you-holding in emotions isn't really a good thing. She needed to be put in her place anyway. All people like that need to be straightened out. Seriously, I know what happened may not seem like such a big deal to other folks, but I feel like she's trashing something very important. What she did was down right disgusting! People like that shouldn't be allowed to have access to this place! And I'll bet she's not going to come back because she's nothing but a coward.

Prjct.War: YESH! THE PARTY IS ON! ANNIHILATION! YES! HUGE PARTY AT KHILAI'S HOUSE! I'LL TIE RED UP TO A CHAIR AND STICK A BUNCH OF DYNAMITE UNDER HIS SEAT, AND THEN WE CAN WATCH THE FUN! WHILE WE'RE AT IT, WHY DON'T WE RUSH OFF AND FETCH MISS PRISSY AND TIE HER UP WITH HIM! SOUND LIKE FUN! IT DOES TO ME!

I'd like to thank everyone for their support. I'm glad all of you are enjoying 'Strings of Fate'. (stomps on Lyza furiously) No, really, I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm soooo over yesterday (speaks through gritted teeth while still pounding Lyza). And if anyone knows anything about Uzu-chan, tell me! The poor thing, where did you go! I feel like I know her in real life…..but I haven't been able to see her for such a long time. Friends can't just drop off the face of the earth like that!

-

Two hours slowly elapsed after the climatic battle with Hyenard.

The two Maverick Hunters and their young friend, the Reploid named Axl, returned to the Maverick Hunter base in complete silence. The young Axl had fallen asleep in the arms of his friends inside of Hyenard's factory, because of the emotions that had captured his entire body right after the battle. The two Hunters sadly and quietly watched over their friend as they made their way back to their homebase, each of them lost within their own thoughts….but lost within the same emotions.

Their homebase was quiet once again, but the poisonous silence that had inhabited the entire base for such a long time was now gone. The sunlight of peace was still within the eyes of every Reploid…and within the eyes of the human that dwelled inside of the base. Smiles were on many faces, and in many eyes….rivers of tears were flowing silently from the hearts of gentle Reploids….there wasn't a single trace of the fear and sorrow that had struck out so harshly at every soul. Every worker was carrying out their duties while passing along warm smiles and embraces, feeling their hearts sink under immense rhapsody. The atmosphere of the base, which had resembled the atmosphere of an ice cavern many hours ago, was now warm and serene, like the aura of a beach on a beautiful sunny day. The latest mission with Sigma was almost complete-there were only four Red Alert members left, even though two of those four remaining members were completely silent-Alia was only picking up activity from the ones called Vanishing Gungaroo and Ride Boarski. Why weren't the other two conducting any strange activities?

No one knew the answer.

-

The two Maverick Hunters, Megaman X and Zero, were inside of an empty dormitory that had temporarily become Axl's. The Red Alert runaway was lost in deep slumber, lying beneath the warm, comforting blankets of the bed. The air was thick was devastating emotions-there were soft drops of crystal flowing from the eyes of the sleeping Reploid, and the two Hunters were watching over him, thinking….thinking of everything that Axl had said to them…..thinking of the painful cries he had released inside of the factory. The eyes of X were no longer filled with the sunlight of vast happiness-the two green emeralds were filled with dewdrops of unfathomable, indestructible sorrow and regret. The gentle eyes of the Crimson Flame were like small candleflames-soft, peaceful and dark with sadness. Both of them were lost among the winds of silence for quite a while-neither of them bothered to even think about time, but an hour of awkward silence passed between the two of them, then the Hunter called X decided to speak….about the details of the mission. It became apparent to Zero that he was desperately trying to prevent himself from breaking out into tears…

"I received a transmission from Alia just a few minutes ago. She informed me of our current standings-the Red Alert members called Wind Crowrang and Splash Wafly are not stirring up any trouble. The reasons for their silence are unknown, but the ones called Vanishing Gungaroo and Ride Boarski are causing a lot of trouble-the Triton Air Forces are under attack, and our Special Defense in the city of Celes have been taken over."

"Do you think our two quiet friends could be hanging with Sigma?"

"They could be. They could be planning to strike out at us at anytime. Maybe they decided not to carry out separate agendas."

"Hmm." Zero folded his arms and took a second to digest these words, then mentioned the very name that almost brought X to his knees.

"So, when our friend Axl awakens, we'll have to head right out to see what's going on. The 'silent enemy' thing doesn't sit too well with me-we need to find out what's up."

"At the moment I wish they ALL would go and jump off a cliff. It would save us a lot of trouble."

Zero's eyes became softer. "You sound like you haven't slept in weeks, friend."

"I feel like I haven't sleep in years."

With a heavy, agonizing sigh, X looked over at the sleeping Axl, feeling the pain within his chest increase greatly. The Hunter felt like he wanted to explode because of the pain his body was drowning in. He opened his mouth to speak, but Zero beat him by a second-the Crimson Flame wanted to start off a new area of conversation for him, to make things easier.

"So, are you absolutely certain about Red? There isn't a way to get him back?"

"I'm absolutely sure." X's voice began to tremble. "Everything I told you before we left for Hyenard's domain was correct. I spoke with him….told him everything….but he didn't budge. Didn't budge at all."

"Well…." Zero said to him softly, his eyes falling onto the body of the heartbroken young Reploid….

"You did what you could do. You tried for him….that has to count for something….right?"

Shimmering rivers of tears began to fall from X's emerald green eyes, and the Reploid began to shiver tremendously. He fell to his knees with a harsh thud, bearing a resemblance to someone that had just been forced to watch their only home burn to the ground. He closed his eyes and tried to stay calm….but his efforts came to nothing. His voice became hoarse….and his body trembled and trembled with waves of tears…

_**"It means nothing. What I did didn't mean anything! It was all for nothing!"**_

A tender frown fell onto the face of the phenomenon known as Zero, and his heart soared out to the friend he treasured so much. He had only seen X break down twice before in his life, and that was shortly after he had just met him, during the Eurasia colony incident. The Crimson Flame had volunteered to take a shuttle into space, to destroy the colony that had been sent out to deliver massive destruction….but the results of his flight came dangerously close to being devastating. He came severely close to death-he had been unable to contact X or any of his friends inside of the homebase for a long while after he completed the mission, because of his condition. His silence sent out a great deal of pain to his best friend's heart-the legendary Maverick Hunter was unable to endure the suspense that had broken out because of his friend's inability to contact him. And during the final battle with Sigma, Zero sacrificed everything in order to protect the one he loved….

And vanished into thin air.

He hated seeing X in any amount of pain…..but there wasn't anything he could do to stop the tears from falling….

_**"It all came right down to nothing! I didn't change anything at all! This just isn't fair!"**_

_This just isn't fair!_

Those words echoed through out Zero's mind.

He felt the very same way X did.

_**"I feel awful about all of this! Axl saved your life-he saved my life at the same time-but I can give him NOTHING in return! The one he cares for is gone, and there isn't anything I can do about it! He gave us back everything we cared for, but he never even thought about himself at all…..he does nothing but bash his own name! This just isn't right!"**_

The Maverick Hunter pounded the ground in agony and released a heartbreaking cry.

_**"I feel BEYOND helpless right now! I was SO CLOSE to losing you, Zero! I thought my entire world was going to be turned upside down, and for an eternity I was lost in nothing but madness-I could breathe, think or barely even SEE! My heart was lost among the claws of unrelenting pain for millions and millions of years…..but then he came by and changed everything! I didn't believe him-I didn't believe that there was a cure out there for you, but he did, and he FOUND IT! He gave it to you and now you're all right…..he restored the life of my most precious treasure but I can't give anything back! I can do nothing for him!"**_

Like an affectionate, loving father, Zero watched and listened to his dearest friend cry. The powerful Maverick Hunter wanted to rush right out and comfort him, but he also wanted his friend to have the chance to release everything within his heart.

Tumultuous, soul breaking sobs left his friend's mouth…..millions of pristine dewdrops left his closed eyes….and currents of pain tormented his body. The sobbing of his dearest friend broke his heart into a countless amount of pieces-X sounded like a young mother that had just lost her entire family...infinitely sorrowful and heartbroken. The dormitory, which had been warm when they entered it, became cold to the crestfallen Hunter because of the tears leaving his heart….everything became cold….

Five long, maddening minutes passed, and then X began to calm down a little….

"I know what it's like. I know what it's like…to lose a father. I never even got to say good-bye to my father….but…it's still the same. I know how awful it feels…to lose someone you thought you'd be with…forever. I just….I don't believe this. I don't believe any of this. He came here-"

_**He.**_

Saying the name 'Axl' would have been too hard.

"-knowing that he had problems of his own….but he decided to take on a burden that should have never been his. And now he has nothing. Absolutely nothing. Did you hear him? He came in here with the desire to become a Hunter-and now he longer cares the wish he had."

"You're wrong."

The eyes of X flew opened and fell right on the gentle, fatherly eyes of Zero…with the warmth and striking qualities of a puppy's eyes. "What?"

"I said you're wrong about something."

"And what would that something be?"

Zero's voice was a calm breeze of devotion.

"Axl DOES have someone to take care of him. Actually, he has TWO people to take care of him."

The Crimson Flame pointed at himself, and then he pointed out at his friend with a bright smile.

"See? That problem's taken care of."

"But….." A part of X wanted to accept what Zero had just said, but the other part was unwilling to do so. The legendary Maverick Hunter wiped his eyes, which was a pointless movement due to the fact that more tears fell right out of his eyes….and he still had the look of a forlorn puppy about his eyes.

"I still don't think this is right. Not at all. It's just that….he saved my dearest friend…..but I was unable to bring his back to him. That's not exactly a fair deal. I feel like a fool right now, I really do."

"Axl isn't the only one being unfair to himself. You're also guilty of throwing dirt on your own name. Think about it. You're Axl's friend. You're giving him the devotion and support of a true friend, which is exactly what he needs right now. You're giving him the greatest thing of all, but you continue to say that you're giving him nothing in return for what he did."

The two of them were no different from a parent and child involved in a life-changing revelation-Zero was the calm, gentle parent and X was the exhausted, exasperated child. The voice of Megaman X rose to a high volume-

"Zero! Did you not hear a word he said back there! He misses Red!"

"Yeah. I heard everything. I was only standing 3 inches away from him, you know. You're the one that isn't picking up on anything. Yeah he misses Red-of course he would. I don't know too much about this whole Red thing, but because of what you told me right before we left, I can safely assume that the two of them had some really great times together. Why wouldn't he miss him? But…he's gone now. The guy chose his own path to follow. It was a bad decision, but it was the decision he made. Th'bastard decided to abandon Axl, and so now it's up to us to take care of him. Life isn't just a basket of cherries. You miss your family, I miss Iris-our hearts find other hearts to unite with, but unfortunately, the bonds we create can't last forever, you know. I was forced to kill Iris with my own two hands, and yeah-I still miss her. Badly. All of us go through life with millions of regrets, millions of 'what ifs' and 'I should haves'. We just need to let go of everything and concentrate on the present….and on the future. We're surrounded by friends that love us, and so we should concentrate on protecting those friends, and prevent the mistakes that occurred in our pasts from happening again."

The warmest bloomed on the face of the Crimson Flame-he was satisfied with what he had said, and hoped that his best friend would be satisfied with it as well. His blue sapphires twinkled with the light of hope and happiness….and so did his smile.

"Get what I said?"

(A/N: X's family: Dr.Light, Roll, Proto Man, Rush, etc. The characters from the classic Mega Man series.)

X's face lit up with several different emotions-immeasurable sadness….love….happiness…..relief…..and hope. He understood the words of his dearest friend perfectly……even though there was still a deep amount of sadness piercing his broken heart. He spent a moment thinking of a response, but was unable to create one because of the tears flowing from his eyes….and embraced the one he loved so much instead. Zero held onto his friend tightly, still emitting the warmth of a gentle father…

"I missed….having talks with you….while you were asleep."

"Heh. I did too. I actually missed a whole bunch of things."

"Thank you." X said to him softly, with a small yet loving smile. "You always seem to know what to say. You really know how to cheer me up. Sheesh, I'd be lost without you."

"You sure would."

"If that was supposed to be an insult, it didn't work." X laughed and shoved his friend playfully, glaring at him. "You can be really weird sometimes."

"Let's leave. You've made enough noise already. I'm surprised Axl hasn't stirred yet."

"You're right-I've been too noisy."

X looked over at his sleeping friend, wiped his eyes, sniffed and smiled.

"Sorry. I'll go away and let you rest now."

He turned back to Zero and spoke.

"This is funny. Now I feel like laughing."

"Well, laugh. No one's stopping you."

"You just told me that I was being too noisy in here."

"And you still are. Let's go already. I'm pretty sure Signas has something t'say to us about our situation with Sigma."

"Yeah yeah yeah…."

Halcyon silence returned to the dormitory.

Both of the Hunters looked at their sleeping friend for a moment……thinking…..about the miracles he had created…..thinking about the sunlight he had restored…

Zero was the one that broke the silence.

"Hey. I need to thank him….when he wakes up."

A grin blossomed on X's face. "So do I, for the fifth thousandth time."

"The three of us will make a pretty badass team, don't you think?"

"Yeah….but I wish we could leave him behind, you know? He needs to rest!"

"Yeah yeah yeah….let's go, Mother X."

-

The two Hunters left the dormitory, and golden silence drenched the entire room. Everything became warm again-the place was like a serene field of ocean blue water…..soothing, beautiful and silent. Both Zero and X thought the young Reploid was asleep….but….

Axl's eyes flew open the very second the mechanical dormitory door slid shut.

-


	35. Sunlight

Soaking in soft, serene silence, the two friends entered the main room of the Maverick Hunter base and were instantly greeted by many of their fellow Reploids. The Crimson Flame gained many enthusiastic greetings because of his descent from the vaults of death….and in return, the Reploids that greeted him received a very warm smile. The entire are was practically flooded with warm, savory sunlight…..and just a short while ago, it had been a place of pain and sorrow….

"Hey guys! What's up!"

Zero pushed away the cheerful, jubilant Douglas as if he were nothing but a mosquito. "Nothing much." the amazing Maverick Hunter said, bearing a resemblance to a spoiled child that had just used up every toy in the house. X tossed him a playful, harmless glare, then winked at the Head Mechanic kindly.

"Everything's fine. Pay no attention to that JERK right there."

The eyes of the mechanic instantly became gemstones of confusion and compassion-the voice of his old friend was shaky….and his eyes were watery. Something had happened just a few minutes ago-what went down?

"Are you sure? X, you look like you've been through-"

"Hell. I know." the Hunter replied gently, no longer wanting to speak of the pain he had been in for such a long period of time. He wiped his eyes once again and smiled. "I'm fine, thanks to Zero. So what's up with you?"

"Where's Signas?"

X gave the Crimson Flame an even harder glare, and scolded him the way a mother would scold a child. "ONE QUESTION AT A TIME, PLEASE. THANK YOU."

"Whatever. I do what I want. I used to outrank you, remember?"

"YEAH. 'USED TO'. You NO LONGER outrank me. Now shut up and let me speak with Douglas and Alia."

Alia, the beautiful Maverick Hunter Navigator, was at her usual station, which wasn't too far away from her dear friends. Her shimmering blue eyes fell on the trio, radiating the warmth of a dove's melody. Her voice was no different-it was like a wind of ocean fragrance-pleasant, bright and wonderful.

"Hey, you two. Zero, it's good to see you up and about. I feel like I haven't seen you in years."

"Yeah, same here."

Concern entered the eyes of the radiant Navigator, and her voice became a sweet song of kindness, affection and fear.

"You two aren't ready to set out, are you? Where's Axl?"

"The kid's still sleeping in the dorm. We aren't leaving him behind, even though X would love to. I guess we just wanted to stop by for a chat."

"Well now, if you wanna chat, I'll give you the weather forecast! It's breezy and sunny today! Light winds about, and it's a beautiful 76 degrees!"

Zero gave Douglas a glare that would have melted black iron.

"Nobody asked for the weather, dimwit."

The happy mechanic threw himself on the Crimson Flame and held onto him the way a hyperactive child would hold onto the cutest teddy bear-

"I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE BACK WITH US! WE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!"

"Yeah yeah yeah, NOW GET OFF OF ME! I MISSED YOU GUYS TOO, ALL RIGHT!"

X and Alia watched the two of them as if they were mothers watching over quarreling children, shaking their heads. The beautiful Alia sighed a moment later and looked into the face of the one she longed to be with….

"So. What's on your mind?"

X looked at her shyly-unfortunately for her, the shyness didn't come about simply because he was looking at her. The shyness appeared simply because there was a lot going on in his heart at the moment….and he really didn't know what to say.

"I can't give you any details. I don't really know my current thoughts at the moment myself. My head feels like its spinning."

"I know how you feel. I'm feeling the same way right now."

The meaning of those words flew right over X's head.

Alia turned around in her chair, so she could face the data on her monitors. "Boarski's stirring up a lot of problems right now. You guys should probably take him out first, so we can avoid any huge problems that might crop up in the future. He's taken over our Special Defenses-we need them back in order to secure everything we've got."

The voice of the individual that spoke next caused all four of them to jump in surprise.

"Right. So! When are we leaving, guys?"

Zero and X whirled right around and shouted-

_**"Axl!"**_

It was none other than the Black Tiger.

The young Reploid was wearing a tender, exuberant smile…..and his eyes were sparkling stones of endless happiness. They were filled with the thirst for adventure…but at the same time….they were filled with the light of a new beginning….the light of….

Eternal love.

The Crimson Flame's eyes widened in shock. "Axl! When did-how long have-"

"Heh heh. I came in right when Alia started talking about my old pal Boarski."

X went next.

"But…..weren't you-"

"Asleep? Nope. Not at all."

"But then…..everything that happened back there…..don't tell me….you were awake the entire time!"

"Yep! Pretty sneaky, aren't I? Heh heh!"

Tears of everlasting affection rushed into the eyes of the Maverick Hunter called Megaman X…..and they also rushed into the eyes of the Black Tiger. The bonds the young one shared with both Maverick Hunters increased tremendously……the light of eternal love became even brighter…….

And smiles blossomed on every face.

"Hey……X….."

"Yes, Axl?"-


	36. Eternity

Rue: Okay, okay, everyone. (calls off her wild, angry mob) Everyone, settle down. The party's over.

(The enormous mob releases a huge cry of disappointment. Dante, the hero of Devil May Cry, emits a long and comical sigh of misery.)

Dante: Are you serious! Sheesh! I thought we're we gonna kick some serious ass here! What in the hell happened!

Rue: (reads declaration) It's official. Miss Khilai says we should just laugh at the evil devil incarnate now. I'm sorry I called you all out here yesterday, but I'm going to have to send you all home.

(Sub Zero from the Mortal Combat series is in the shadows, hovering in the ominous darkness. His eyes flash like the eyes of a tiger.)

Sub Zero: But I wanted to become the evil incarnate's friend...honestly...(eyes continue to flash)

Venom from the Spiderman series: Who are we talking about, here?

Rue: Lyza. Have you not been paying attention? She's the incarnate of Evil. Now everyone, shut up and go home.

Dante: (is sharpening huge Demon Blade) I wanted to be her friend too, you know...man, I never get to do anything I wanna do...

(Rovin, the newest star of 'Complexity of a Soul', walks onto the golden beach, our current setting.)

Rovin: Hey everyone. How's it going? Is this the location of the Sigma's hangout?

Dante: Not really. You're in the 'World's Most Hated Characters' club. Welcome.

Rue: (unsheathes Wolverine-like claws) Everyone, let's give him a warm welcome!

(Dante, Venom, Sub Zero and the other members of the mob deliver dangerous, deadly glares to the shivering Reploid. The other members of the mob are the Prince of Persia, Jr. of Xenosaga, and Snake from Metal Gear. The Prince of Persia, from the Warrior Within adventure, is ready to kill.)

Prince: Hey there. How's it going?

Dante: Meet your other friends-Red, and of course, the BEAUTIFUL MISS LYZA!

Red: Release me at once! I've got to get out of here, so I can-

Dante: So you can WHAT! TORMENT THE POOR WIDDLE AXL MORE! SHEESH, I'VE READ THE LATEST CHAPTERS OF COMPLEXITY OF A SOUL-THE POOR KID'S TWO INCHES AWAY FROM DEATH AND NOBODY CARES! I MEAN, COME ON! 'CRAZY SUICIDAL MANIAC'!

(The handsome Prince of Persia looks at Dante with the light of realization in his dangerously dark eyes.)

Prince:...I know how Axl feels. He's completely misunderstood.

Dante: EXACTLY. Nobody is giving a crap about him right now...(begins to sob softly)

Snake: Well...X and Zero are with him. That counts for something, right?

Dante: (glares at him harshly) NOT REALLY. X IS ONLY LOOKING OUT FOR HIM BECAUSE IT'S HIS DUTY! (sticks out tongue) ZERO CARES ABOUT THE KID BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON!

Jr.: Geez, who knew that a story could ignite such passion...it's like a soap opera or something.

Rovin: I know. The very existence of the story itself is amazing.

Dante: WHO ARE YOU TO TALK? (turns on Rovin with huge, red eyes) PREPARE TO DIE, VICIOUS SCUM!

Rue: Okay, come on...not yet...we forgot about our friends here. (points to Lyza and Red)

(The faces of Rue's friends light up-it's as if they're seeing the two for the very first time.)

Prince of Persia: Wait a minute. (points at Red) You're the DAHAKA!

Red: I'm the WHAT!

(The eyes of the Prince become a deadly shade of red. He unsheathes two very impressive blades and braces himself.)

Prince: I'd like you to meet two friends of mine. Prepare to die, Dahaka!

Dante: (looks at Lyza and gasps) Hold everything-you look just my long-lost enemy, Sparta! (unleashes colossal silver blades, which are drenched in venom) It's time to meet your death, villain!

Jr.: (listens to the chaos of the battles) Aw man. If I were Axl, I would just wake up and put a couple of rounds out, y'know?

Snake: I know what you mean. (imagines Axl waking up and screaming 'crazy? I'll show you sons of bastards CRAZY!', and then shoots a pair of machine guns) Why don't the two of us just go and kick everyone's asses.

Jr.: All right. Why don't we start with Red first? (readies his two guns)

Tidus from Final Fantasy 10: (his eyes fall right on Rovin) Holy crap-it's SIN!

Auron: I thought we defeated Sin? (brandishes his weapons)

Tidus: I guess we didn't! Here goes nothing!

Rovin: WAIT A MINUTE! I'M NOT SIN!

Red: I've got to escape from this horrid place...

Axl: Oh NO. YOU AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE. (unsheathes his two guns and laughs)

X: Axl, this doesn't have anything to do with you! Get out of there!

Axl: (innocently) Yeah it does. It has everything to do with me. I'm Axl too, you know. We Axls have to stick together!

Lyza: (screams out to Red) Hurry, darling! Run!

Axl: (turns on her) OH NO. YOU'RE THE ONE THAT STARTED ALL OF THIS.

Rue: (unsheathes Wolverine claws, looks at Rovin and laughs) Hee hee hee...

Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings saga: LOOK, MY ALLIES! (points at Rovin) SAURON HAS MADE HIS WAY HERE! PREPARE TO DIE, SCUM!

Sora from Kingdom Hearts 2: Looks like I made it just in time. (looks right at Red) We meet again at last, Ansem!

(What seems like a hundred battles begins. Screams and the sounds of guns and blades pierce the calm air like thunder.)

Axl: YES! IT'S GOOD TO BE LOVED!

(Dante is sobbing his eyes out, but at the same time, he's dealing out massive amounts of pain) WHY? WHY WON'T ANYONE TALK TO HIM? WHY WON'T ANYONE TALK TO AXL! HE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING TO ANYONE!

-

The end of my second intermission. The personality and thoughts of Dante come from my own heart. I felt the same way about the latest chapter in Khilai's story-Axl's two centimeters away from death and some bastard has the nerve to throw dirt on him! The poor thing isn't having any luck! KHILAI, I'LL POUND YOU IF THIS STORY DOESN'T HAVE A HAPPY ENDING! SOMEBODY, PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE WITH CHOCOLATE SYRUP ON TOP, MAKE AXL HAPPY! (tears hair out)

This is maddening! The description of Axl's body broke my widdle heart! The poor thing just needs some love! Waaaahhhhhh!

The story is, without a doubt, beautiful...in a very, VERY sad way...but it's still a masterpiece. Hey, there are a lot of sad yet extraordinarily beautiful books and movies (The Last Samurai, Samurai X and Road to Perdition for examples). Sheesh, a part of me feels bad for bringing my Axl out of the pain he was in, since yours is still suffering!

That's the end of my rage on Miss Lyza. She doesn't deserve any more attention anyway.

(mashes Rovin into dust) Heh heh...

Star Ninja: Good job on your fic. I really hope you keep it up.

(goes into a corner and sobs softly for Axl) I think I'll join Prjct.War on this. (bows her head while listening to sad piano music) Everyone, thank you for the support on my fic. A warning to the newbies: If you wish to review this story, you must give detailed feedback to the author. Valid, solid evidence must be presented to support your opinions. These opinions will NOT be tolerated: this story is too long, too sad, too violent, too sentimental, it's nothing like X7, etc etc etc. Thank you for your time.

I know I have an X8 adaptation planned, but if any of you would like to see an X4, X5 or X6 adaptation instead, that would be okay too.

Sincerely, Rue. February 17, 2005

(why is this thing not accepting some of my question marks? i hope everything is going smoothly for you readers.)

-The young Black Tiger lowered his head slowly and thought for a moment, focusing on the current emotions of his heart, and the thoughts within his mind. Gentle, warm drops of light entered his eyes as he thought of everything he had heard within his dormitory...and his heart began to pound upon the drums of serenity steadily...he could feel the affection he had for the Maverick Hunters X and Zero increase vividly...

X looked at him worriedly and tilted his head, unable to stand the suspense. He looked just like a wise, affectionate dog waiting for its best friend to speak.

"Axl? Are you all right?"

The eyes of the young Reploid opened, and they were the most beautiful jewels any of them had ever seen.

"Yeah. I'm okay. Thanks to the two of you, of course."

X narrowed his eyes at him in playful anger, and folded his arms. "I can't believe you pretended to be asleep...you little sneak..." he growled at the young one warmly, causing him to laugh a little.

Zero, on the other hand, swiftly fell into a world of thought...and the world was a beautiful, tranquil one...a world of sunlight and happiness. The eyes of the young Axl resembled the eyes of his long-lost maiden, a female Reploid named Iris. The oceans of light were incredible, endless portals to everlasting peace...and the waves of the oceans made the Crimson Flame fall into the embrace of new promises, new beginnings...

X verbally lunged out at his best friend a moment later.

"You knew he was awake the entire time, didn't you?"

"Yep. Sure did."

"Whatever! And Axl, I don't know what you're thanking US for when you're the one that saved us all!"

The calmness of the young one's eyes blossomed, and his smile became even warmer.

"That's easy. I'm thanking you guys for everything you said back there, in the dorm."

Right here Axl's eyes became very sad...but the indescribable beauty within them remained.

"X...I'm really sorry. I'm sorry...for making you break down like that, y'know? Thanks...for caring so much about me...but...you..." A small laugh withdrew itself from the young runaway's mouth-it was the most adorable sound Alia had ever heard in her life.

"...didn't have to put yourself down like that. I'm glad we're friends with each other...I'm very lucky to have you with me. You didn't have to fly off to Red's for me-you could have easily placed yourself in big trouble out there...but thanks for trying though. It's true-I do miss him...but he's gone. I'm not alone though-I have the two of you with me, so I can make it. Zero, thanks for cheering him up. I'm glad you said all of that stuff to him."

"You're welcome."

A very rare smile bloomed on the Crimson Flame's face.

"Everything you said was right. The past is gone, but we gotta concentrate on today...and on our future. I don't need to become a Maverick Hunter-all I want is to be able to protect you guys. I want to stay by your sides until the end of time. That's all I want. I just wanna be a part of a family again."

Zero frowned at Axl's last statement-he really did want to become a part of another family. Looking at the Black Tiger was like looking at a puppy that had been left behind in a pet store after a huge sale.

But he no longer cared about being a Maverick Hunter.

"Pffh."

The Crimson Flame folded his arms and looked at Axl with his usual harsh nonchalance. "You say that you no longer need to become a Hunter, but you want your heart to become one with all of ours. Is that correct?"

"Yeah-"

"Kid, get real. You mean you would be all right if we just threw you on the side of the street?"

Axl said nothing, but the look in his eyes told Zero that he didn't really have a certain type of future in mind for himself. The young Reploid's eyes were shiny, noble paintings of deep, heart-rending valiance…and devotion……he just wanted his heart to be near the hearts of his new friends.

Nothing more.

Anger fell into Zero's eyes, but the anger was gentle, harmless and affectionate. The Crimson Flame placed a hand on his hip and closed his eyes, then he spoke to the young Reploid the same way he spoke to his dearest friend just a short while ago inside of the dormitory. His voice was firm, like the voice of a parent, but it was also soft and affectionate….just like his eyes.

"Axl, listen up. We aren't throwing you out anywhere. It's clear that you've been hurt enough-you shouldn't and probably CAN'T take any more pain. It's obvious that you want to be around those that love you, so we'll keep you with us and care for you. If we toss you out of here, then you'll end up all alone all over again, and that's something we don't want to happen. I for one would rather die than see you all alone. I know what it's like to be surrounded by nothing darkness. I spent most of my life in it, and it wasn't a picnic, let me tell you that. Besides, we need to repay you for everything you've done, and throwing you out of here wouldn't be a good way to show our gratitude. So you're staying, and that's that."

Axl's heart shot into translucent skies of happiness. The eyes of the young Reploid became beautiful, resplendent oceans of heavenly, clear light….and his eyes closed…..giving him the appearance of a shocked widow that had just found a long-lost child. The eyes of the Crimson Flame were on him, and they were filled with the emotions of a loving parent-they were stern yet comforting, harsh yet affectionate…Zero definitely wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer, and that was that.

The eyes of Alia and Douglas were on the Crimson Flame, and both pairs were filled with awe. X's eyes were like the eyes of a proud child-bright and jubilant. Playfully he shoved his young friend while wearing a smile of casualness.

"Well, that's Zero for ya. Pretty amazing, isn't he? I'm glad you gave him back to us. We don't know what we'd do without him."

"Whatever. Just a few minutes ago you were verbally abusing me."

Right before X was about to respond, the eyes of the Crimson Flame widened, and a soft sigh left his lips. Despair softly touched his eyes the way waves met the golden shores of a beach, and they were focused on the silent young Reploid. "Oh no." he groaned, putting a hand to his forehead. "Don't start. Please. We just finished crying our eyes out. Do you remember, back in Hyenard's hangout?"

Axl covered his face with his hands and tried to restrain the tears that wanted to fall from his heart, but his attempt to hold them back failed miserably. Zero's eyes softened and sadness struck his heart. Seeing the young one cry was like listening to a small, sick puppy whimper.

"Oh no. Come on. What's wrong now? I've cried enough."

"Sorry……" Once again, Axl laughed, bringing great pleasure to the Maverick Hunter Navigator, even though the pleasure was stifled by sadness. "I know. I really am sorry. It's just…."

Another sigh left Zero's mouth. It was the sigh of an annoyed yet loving brother. He slowly walked over to his new friend and gently placed a hand on his trembling shoulder.

"Look. I know things are weird right now. Transitions in life aren't smooth, but we have to adapt to them. I know you probably feel like a young child being taken into a new home, but you'll get used to hanging out around here. I'll make sure of that. Tell you what. Since you did a little something for me, I'll do a little something for you. I'll make you my roommate."

"What?"

The Hunter closed his eyes and folded his arms once again. He looked absolutely amazing whenever he closed his eyes.

Zero was the essence of cool.

"You heard me. You're going to be my new roommate. This doesn't have to be permanent. You can always leave and get yourself your own dormitory after you adjust to your new life here. I'm just trying to help you out for a while. I felt out of place too when I first arrived, but luckily, I had someone to help me." Right here he tossed X a wink, and received a wink back. "Now I'm going to do the same for you."

For a moment, Axl had no idea what to say. His mind was a complete blank.

Zero waited for a response, but after a minute, the Maverick Hunter opened his eyes and turned to X.

"So, where are we heading again?"

"For Boarski's place. We have to recover our Special Defenses, remember?"

"That's right. We've got a force of Reploids there, working under us. We've got to get to them if we want to keep our 'underground'-"

Zero didn't have the chance to finish his sentence.

Right after the word 'underground' left his mouth, Axl embraced him and held onto him tightly, bringing a vast amount of shock to the Hunter's eyes. Zero was not expecting such a response from the young one, and he definitely wasn't expecting to have his sentence cut off. His eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the face of the young one that had embraced him so suddenly-he looked like a lost toddler that had been reunited with his father. The warmth of the embrace shocked him-

Never before in his life had he received such gratitude.

A smile bloomed on the faces of Douglas and X, and drops of crystallized starlight filled Alia's eyes. The embrace and Zero's response to the embrace brought about a high amount of joy to the three onlookers.

The whole thing was beyond priceless.

Silence passed between all of them for a short while, then X spoke, unaware of what was going to happen next.

"I told you he was amazing, didn't I? I guess you could say that he's our-"

Douglas' smile transformed into a grin when Axl cut off X's sentence by doing the very same thing he did to Zero. "I guess it's your turn now, heh heh!" the mechanic said kindly, wiping the mist of tears from his eyes.

Like a child hugging a long-lost parent, Axl held onto X. X held onto Axl, thinking of everything he had shared with the young runaway. All of the emotions he had experienced during the nightmare, the promises Axl had made to him….the fight the two of them had a while ago……the smiles of his young friend….everything rushed back to him furiously, and stirred up a high amount of tears. The Maverick Hunter closed his eyes, restraining the soft sobs that wanted to be released…he felt indescribably happy and warm….

What happened next caused even more tears to enter the Hunter's eyes.

Axl gently broke out of the embrace. His eyes shamed every glimmering rock in existence, and so did the smile on his face. The young one spoke, sounding like someone that had just been given a brand-new start on life.

"I'm going to be best Maverick Hunter I can be! I promise!"

"Well…" Zero said to him gently. "…you aren't one yet. Not officially. But you are one in our eyes."

"That's good enough for me! Let's get out there and kick some serious tail! I'll show those scumbags what I'm made of!"

"Stop twirling those weapons of yours or I'll have to disarm you!"

"X, shut up and leave him alone. You're no one's mother."

"AREN'T YOU JUST THE CUTEST, SWEETEST THING ALIVE!"

"ALIA, STOP THAT AT ONCE! AXL IS NO CANINE!"

"BUT HE'S TOO CUTE FOR WORDS! I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM-GIVE MOMMY A KISS!"

"Oh God…." Zero looked at the young Reploid, who was in Alia's arms. "Axl, run. NOW."

"GIVE YOUR SWEET MUMMY A KISSY-WISSY POO!"

"ALIA! HE ISN'T A TOY!"

"BUT HE'S ALL MINE! I'M GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOU AND LOVE YOU AND SQUEEZE YOU AND READ YOU STORIES AT NIGHT!"

Zero nudged X in the chest.

"You know, maybe we SHOULD toss him on out the street once we're done."

"I think so too."-


	37. Lost Regret

Sigma's homebase wasn't really that different from the Red Alert Syndicate homebase. Its outside appearance brought the greatest amount of shame to every haunted house in existence, and the inside of it wasn't that different from the outside. The mists of dark eternity were making themselves at home, covering every single item in black vapors. The temperature inside of the base was unbearably low, but cold winds did not bother those that were born in the darkness anyway. Most of the areas were filled with silence….but there was one room filled with activity-

The living room.

Sigma, of course, was on the weird side, but at the same time, he was really no different from the king of the underworld. He had the personality of a clown, but his thirst for blood made him a really sick, twisted and bitter clown. His homebase was designed to look just like a real home, just so he could plan out his missions in luxury….his living room looked like the living room of a millionaire. He was relaxing, enjoying the black warmth of his own quarters…

"Hmmm. It seems like I'm losing at the moment, but I know what I can do. I'll just sit back and enjoy myself. I'll watch everything that's going on. I will no longer bother myself with the fool that calls himself 'Red', hee hee."

He rose from his chair, stretched out his arms and yawned.

"I'll being seeing my friends soon. I bet Zero's going to be pretty angry when he sees me. My precious little pet hates me sooooo much….but that'll end soon. Very soon."

-

The silent pair of Red Alert members, Wind Crowrang and Splash Wafly, were standing right outside of Sigma's living room, perfectly hidden in the shadows of the darkness. Both of them were listening to Sigma ramble on about his desires and dreams….frightened by how so much had changed within the last few hours. Just a short while ago they were under the leadership of Red…..and they were all together.

Together.

At first, they welcomed the changes that had taken place. Red's new partnership with Sigma seemed to be filled with promises.

Slowly, things began to change for both of them, in very bad ways.

The honorable, decent Red they knew and cared for was gone. It was as if Sigma had taken a piece of him and inserted inside of Red's heart. And as for Sigma…..he was nothing but a crackpot that loved to screw around with anyone he came into contact with. Axl, the young Reploid they had befriended almost an eternity ago, was now with the Maverick Hunters, safe and secure.

Axl was the only one that had found the right path.

They were completely uncomfortable with the environment they were in. First of all, they didn't spend their days at Red Alert in complete darkness, and being around such an unpredictable Reploid didn't make things any better. Both of them felt lost and uneasy….

Like two individuals being stalked by a murderer.

Splash had told Crowrang of Sigma's present to Zero-the poisonous program that had almost brought him to a swift and easy death. Crowrang was shocked to hear of such activities, and decided to stay by his old friend's side. Neither one of them wanted to stay under the leadership of Sigma anymore, and Red was nowhere to be found. Things were way out of control.

"Should we even be here? What if he sees us?"

"He won't. Now lower your voice."

Crowrang placed a hand on his forehead, lowered his head and sighed sadly, thinking of everything that was going on around them. "Like I even care anyway. Things have gotten way out of hand, you know? I like the way things used to be."

Regret filled the eyes of Splash Wafly, and he turned to Crowrang with a deep sigh. "I wish everything would go back to the way it was. I miss the good old days myself. But wishing isn't going to do us any good. If wishes were fishes, we would be drowning in them right now."

"You and your dumb water phrases. Do you always have to talk about your stupid ocean?"

"Yeah. I do. I live around the water, dumb nut. And I miss my home. Well, I still have it, but it's not the way it used to be. It's all dark and dreary now. Sigma screwed with my place the same way he screwed with Red's head. Sheesh."

Splash sighed and folded his arms sorrowfully.

"I sure hope th'kid's all right. Do you think so?"

"Of course he is. He's with them Hunters now, isn't he?"

"Yeah, I guess. He's probably an S-Class one. The kid needs to be happy. I'm proud of him."

"We should have went with him, buddy."

"I know. But we were too stupid to see through Sigma's tricks, just like the others. At least the kid got away. I wonder what he's doing right now."

"He's okay. Don't worry about him! He was always able to take care of himself back in the good old days."

"Yeah, but the kid was as fragile as a glass shard. He probably still is. The poor kid was like a lost pup when Red brought him in. He's probably real happy now, surrounded by friends."

A second later, a pair of demonic red eyes filled the hearts of both Splash Wafly and Wind Crowrang. A sharp gasp painfully tore itself from Crowrang's throat, and Wafly froze because of excruciating fear.

"Don't worry. You'll be able to join ALL of your old friends soon."


	38. Dawn

A big hello to everyone out there! Since I was able to get so much off of my chest last time, I feel much better now! About the review guideline thing-I only made up those rules because of the review Miss Voldemort posted in Khilai's story. If anyone wants to stop by and say something about my story, then they can go right ahead, but I want REAL reasons behind the opinions. AND THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT THE EXACT COPY OF THE X7 GAME SCRIPT, SO IF ANY NEWBIES OUT THERE ARE EXPECTING THIS TO BE EXACTLY LIKE THE GAME, FORGET IT.

It's a fanfic.

I hoped that the characters I chose for the last intermission would turn out to be familiar. I hope that everyone else can recognize them too. And once again, I apologize for question marks that are M.I.A. I don't know why most of mine aren't showing up in the final project, but I hope no one's confused or anything by the missing ones.

Rue: All right kiddies. I just finished reading the latest chapter of Miss Khilai's story. Axl's finally getting some love! Zero's saving him! Let's celebrate!

(Hundreds of individuals celebrate in unique ways. It's as if the entire world is celebrating-torches are releasing their thunderous light to the skies, wild applause pierces the air, and passionate embraces are tossed about. Dante, the hero of Devil May Cry, pounces on and smothers Jak from Jak 3 in kisses.)

Dante: _**ALL RIGHT! YES! IT'S ABOUT TIME!**_

(Confetti is thrown in the air. It looks like a huge New Year's Eve party in the middle of New York city. The 'I Need a Hero' song from Shrek 2 plays during the party, and hundreds of voices sing to the tune.)

Zidane from Final Fantasy 9: Wicked awesome! I was hoping that the kid would get a break.

Cloud from Final Fantasy 7: I was on the same boat-nobody understood me either-

Riku from Kingdom Hearts: (avoids confused glances as he massacres Rovin with his own Keyblade) What? I'm not doing anything.

Axl: Let me join you. (whips out whoop-ass guns)

X: Don't leave me out. (puts on Ultimate Armor)

Jak: Wait a minute. What if this Zero guy dies or something?

(Silence instantly crashes onto the party. Time freezes.)

Zero: (in black armor) Don't jinx anything, you son of-

The world of Vanishing Gungaroo was absorbed in the magic of an enchanting night-hundreds of golden stars were releasing all of their glory in the sky, which was a captivating, striking shade of blue. Cool, invigorating winds were dancing through the mystical night sky, and an aurora borealis was smiling down on every pure heart. The beauty of Gungaroo's domain was unbelievably wondrous, but at the same time, the two Maverick Hunters knew why they were surrounded by such beauty. The world knew of the happiness they had fallen into just a short while ago, and it decided to show its emotions to both of the Hunters.

The two of them felt as if they were lost in a dream.

Endless strength was streaming through both of their bodies-they felt like ancient gods that had the power to control an entire planet. They were both invincible and invulnerable to the spells of eternal evil-nothing could touch them, nothing could bring them down, nothing could destroy their spirits and their hearts. The nightmare had ended-it was all over now, and nothing could bring them out the clear blue sky of happiness….

And nothing could definitely bring down Axl, who was just OVERFLOWING with energy.

The mission they had been given was this: there were twenty bombs that needed to be eliminated before they had the chance to create massive destruction. All three of them were soaring through the streets on Ride Chasers, moving at incredible speeds while taking care of their duties, but it was hard for X to take his eyes off of Axl, who was like a child that had eaten WAY too much chocolate. It was hard for Zero to do the same. The young Reploid was way ahead of both of them, firing both of his guns like crazy-

"YAHOOO! I'LL SHOW ALL OF YOU WHAT I'M MADE OF! HA HA, TAKE THIS!"

The Crimson Flame looked over at X, wearing the look of an annoyed General in his eyes. The long, golden yellow ponytail of the Maverick Hunter was like a banner in the cool winds, and his armor glimmered like pearls because of the warmth of the night-Zero was just too damn cool for words.

"Should we have left him behind?"

X smiled at his dear friend warmly, feeling as if he had never lost Zero at all. The nightmare he had been lost in felt as if it had truly been nothing more than a nightmare. His dearest treasure, the coolest Reploid of all, was looking right at him-the nightmare was so distant now….

"No! I enjoy seeing him like this! Don't you?"

"Yes, to tell you the truth, but if he keeps this up he'll end up hurting himself."

_**"YEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAA!"**_

The Crimson Flame closed his eyes and shook his head, then placed his eyes on the road. He looked like a phantom, but at the same time, he looked like an ethereal angel riding though the night-calm, collected, strong, confident, and downright amazing. "Th' kid's something else." he told his best friend gently, bearing the light of a sage within his eyes. "I never thought I would meet someone like him."

"Same here. I'm really glad he's all right now. Thanks for cheering him up."

"Oh. And you think you have nothing to do with THAT?" Zero asked him sharply, pointing out at the jubilant young Reploid, who seemed to be lightyears away from both of them. "Get real. You contributed to that too, you know."

Those were the great Reploid's last words. Zero took off after Axl, bearing the appearance of a wise and powerful guardian. Truthfully, the Maverick Hunter's physical appearance was just too hard to describe properly-the only that could be said was this-

He was the quintessence of perfection.

"Well, I guess I'll cover the two of you." X said to himself quietly, unable to hold back a wide grin. The Hunter released a soft sigh, sounding like a mother that had just allowed her children to run wild.

"Those two are truly out of this world."

A moment later, something extraordinary occurred. Extremely bright light blinded the Maverick Hunter, and the sound of a bomb exploding scorched his ears. He regained the ability to see a few seconds after the bomb had been destroyed, and what greeted his eyes amazed him. Axl soared out from the explosion, perfectly unharmed and triumphant. An indescribably bright smile was on the young one's face, and his eyes were brighter than the stars in the sky, which were shimmering happily in the ocean of blue dreams. Zero was right behind him, even though he had chosen to dodge the explosion, silent and vigilant……

Both of them looked just too damn cool for words, riding out into the night.

_**"YEAH! YAAAHOOOOOO! THAT WAS BEYOND AWESOME!"**_

"Never a dull moment with you around, is there?"

"You got that right, pal! Here I go-yeeee-haaaa!"

"WATCH YOURSELF OR YOU'LL DIVE RIGHT OFF THE COURSE!"

X closed his own eyes and sighed.

"I guess I'm the only mature one here."

Time flew away with the winds of the night in swift, ephemeral flashes of crystallized rhapsody. The stars continued their silent vigil over the newborn trio, smiling and emitting the warmth of loving, caring protectors. The winds remained cool and refreshing, striking all three of them with the bright, everlasting melodies of new promises and new beginnings. The world truly was aware of everything that had developed between the three of them, and because the nightmare had ended, it was truly happy. None of them felt as if they could be taken down-everything was right with the beloved world they were in, and not a single slice of evil could tamper with anything. The stars were sharing their power with the three Reploids willingly, causing them to feel not only invincible, but strong and confident as well.

The elimination of the bombs went down without a single hitch. Every single bomb was destroyed (most of them were destroyed by a certain young Reploid that was unable to stop moving, even just for a second), and the Special Defense Force was successfully rescued. The 'underground network' of Reploids, who had been forced to hide out within a nearby building, delivered profuse gratitude to the three Reploids-smiles and embraces broke out the very second X stepped into the building, which was almost covered in flames. With the fashion of a true, protective mother, the legendary blue Maverick Hunter hurriedly told the Defense force to locate shelter, and they rushed out of there without a moment of hesitation.

There was only one thing left to do.

An hour soared right on by.

The three Reploids removed themselves from their Ride Chasers and scanned their surroundings. Silence was in the air, soft, serene and gentle, just like the winds that were flowing through their hearts. Each of them bore different facial expressions-Axl looked like the tiniest puppy wandering around in a new home, X had the look of a vigilant Sergeant on his face, and Zero was no different from a silent, watchful falcon. The awesome Crimson Flame conducted some activity on his wrist communicator and paced around for a bit-it was safe to assume that he was checking things out on his scanner. The one that broke the silence was the young Axl, who had gone from being the Black Tiger to the cutest little kitten.

"Zero?"

"What is it?"

"He's here. I can feel him."

"You can?" Zero asked him, his eyes widening in confusion. Axl nodded with a smile.

"Yep, I sure can. He should be right through this door."

"Hmph." The Crimson Flame deactivated his scanner, then folded his arms, wearing another rare smile on his face. "What are you trying to do, make me look bad?"

"No! Not really! Heh heh. Sorry."

Zero placed his attention on the door Axl had pointed at, which was no more than a few inches away from him. "Hmm. It's all right. It's not like everyone can sense energy levels. You're just special, that's all."

Zero spoke that last sentence in a way that caused the young one to gasp, and divine dewdrops filled his eyes. A halcyon smile blossomed on his face and in his heart as he realized something-

His two friends really did care for him.

"So what now?" X asked the two of them, placing his hands on his hips. "Should we take him by surprise, or-"

"I-"

"Shut up Axl." Zero shot out at the young Reploid, his eyes glimmering like the eyes of a black panther. The Crimson Flame evidently did not want Axl to do anything on his own, and neither did X. The blue Maverick Hunter's next words told the young one so.

"The three of us are going in together, and that's final."

"But that's three against one. A little unfair, don't you think?"

Zero looked back at the young Axl, beaming with the greatest amount of affection and pride. He knew that Axl really didn't care about their enemy's well-being. The young one just enjoyed joking around with his new friends…..

And there wasn't anything wrong with that.

"I guess you're right, since you've got the strength of ten Reploids, but I think he'll be able to handle himself. Don't you, X?"

"Well…….Axl and I could always just sit back and watch you take care of him-"

Zero gave X a hard yet comical glare, then walked right through the door. Axl and X stayed behind for a moment and exchanged smiles with each other, and then the young Reploid spoke, sounding as if he was at a warm, peaceful picnic in the middle of a park.

"Heh. He talks about me as if I'm the strongest Reploid around."

"Well….."

X's next words sent Axl's heart into a warm field of never-ending, warm and golden happiness.

"You are."

The Maverick Hunter went after his dearest friend right after those words left his mouth, leaving behind a shocked Axl. The young one's eyes fell to the ground and glued themselves there, and his heart began to slowly beat on the drums of disbelief….starlight filled his vibrant eyes, which were beautiful and filled with the energy of life…..

X and Zero really did care for him.

It was as if he had just saved the Earth from total devastation.

And just a short while ago, he felt lonely.

_Lonely….._

The word caused a grin to bloom on Axl's face.

**_Lonely?_**

That word no longer existed.

"I think it's time for me to work my magic."

The young one unsheathed both of his guns, glanced at both of them proudly, and went after both of his friends……

Thinking about how lucky he was to have them by his side.

The location of Ride Boarski struck the three of them as a surprise-darkness was abundant, but the temperature of the place wasn't immoderately low, and it didn't possess a blood chilling aura of evil. That last fact told the three of them that their newest enemy wasn't going to be an enormous threat….and since all three of them felt immeasurably powerful, the battle wasn't going to be a long and arduous one. The trio walked around the place slowly, brandishing their weapons with the desire for adventure in their eyes…

All three of them were ready to fight….

**As one.**

Zero, the Crimson Flame, was the one responsible for breaking the silence. His gentle voice drifted into the air like a white feather lingering in the summer skies, and his eyes emitted iridescent warmth.

"Axl. You're actually quiet. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's up. Just looking at something."

The eyes of both X and Zero fell onto him, and the same word left both of their mouths at the very same time.

"What?"

Abruptly, the young one aimed and fired both of his guns at an object hidden in the depths of the darkness with a phenomenal amount of elegance and speed. A scream pierced the calm, warm air right after the shots had been fired-

"HEY!"

A triumphant smile lit up the young one's face, and his eyes shimmered with a joyful, incandescent melody. "Found you, Boarski." he said, bearing the nonchalance X had come to know so well. Axl had the appearance and attitude of someone enjoying the peace of bird watching, but the same time he was like a lion, ready to strike. Both of the Maverick Hunters exchanged glances with each other, looking like twins-both of them had on the very same facial expression.

Neither one of them saw anything, but Axl was able to pick up on Boarski's location right away.

"Playing hide-and-seek with him would be pointless." Zero said to his dearest friend softly, wearing a very warm smile in his eyes, which were shimmering with mischief. X nodded, ignoring the temptation to embrace the one that meant so much to him.

"You got that right. I can't believe it-he was able to see Boarski but neither one of us picked up anything."

Ride Boarski descended from the shadows he had been hiding in, bearing the facial expression of a child that had just been treated unfairly by his family. His eyes were red-hot stones of anger, and steam seemed to be streaming from both of his ears-

"Hm. He reminds me of a train."

Zero's remark caused X to place a hand right over his own mouth, in order to hold back laughter. Axl eyed the Crimson Flame silently, his eyes sparkling with every ounce of affection he had for him. Zero returned his look swiftly, and then placed his attention back on Boarski, who was literally fuming with fury.

"So! I've got guests tonight! The world famous, S-Class Hunter Zero, the legendary X, and my dear old friend Axl! But hey, isn't this three-on-one setup a little unfair?"

"I told you…." Axl muttered under his breath, darting his eyes in Zero's direction. Zero caught the look, tossed back his head and released a soft sigh. He unsheathed his Z-Saber, wearing the look a triumphant cat had on its face when it located a huge meal.

"Come now. Don't you want to become acquainted with me and my friend here?"

Boarski was confused by Zero's question-the Crimson Flame obviously wasn't speaking of the two Reploids standing by his side.

But then, which friend was he speaking of?

The armor of the Crimson Flame was exuding an inexpressible amount of blazing light-he looked as if he was lost among small yet powerful flames of annihilation. The look within his eyes surpassed the look of a deadly samurai's eyes…..and there was a small yet dangerous smile lurking on his face. The Maverick Hunter was a harbinger of death….that was painfully clear to the Reploid named Ride Boarski. The messenger of death unsheated his weapon, which glimmered with a light that was equal to the light of his armor, and he spoke to his enemy, his voice bearing the power of poison.

"I'm speaking of THIS friend, in case you're wondering. Here, I'll introduce him to you."

Those words ignited a magnificent battle, a battle that would be forever remembered by the three friends.

Boarski furiously shot out at the Maverick Hunter called Zero and launched an attack, but the attack was unsuccessful-it struck nothing but air since the Crimson Flame dodged it at the speed of light. The battle arrangements were settled in an instant-Zero was in charge of the short-range combat, and the other two had the abilities to back him up easily.

Like a bolt of thunder Boarski soared all over the place, like a falcon chasing down a desired meal, but not a single attack could affect any of his enemies. Zero fought with the strength and finesse of an unparalleled samurai….but Boarski didn't focus on only the Crimson Flame. Whenever he lunged out at the other two, he was always greeted by failure-X either attacked him with his X-Buster, or Axl proudly fired several rounds at him.

Ten long minutes passed between the combatants, surprising the three Reploids from the Maverick Hunter base. None of them expected a long battle, but none of them decided to complain, since the battle they were engaged in was quite fun. However, things were different in the eyes of Ride Boarski. The battle he was involved was anything BUT fun for him-the trio he was fighting against seemed to be unstoppable. All three of them were being driven by a powerful, unbeatable force….

But what force could bring eternal strength to any individual?

It was the force…….

Of love.

The eyes of Zero were on him, fiery yet silent. The eyes of X were on him, blazing with the determination of a valiant General. The eyes of Axl were on him, filled with the mischief of a child that was waiting for a present to be delivered into his hands. None of them had fear swimming around on their faces-all of them looked as if they wanted to take on the most powerful deities alive…..

With a loud cry of deep frustration, Boarski lunged out at the Crimson Flame, who sidestepped him with both hands behind his back, and with closed eyes. Axl took the opportunity Zero gave him with great enthusiasm-he shot up into the air and fired several rounds of enormous energy balls at the enemy, still wearing a mischievous smile on his youthful features. Unfortunately, the young one had the ability to hover in the air for only a few moments, so he fell out of the sky and landed perfectly after he had completed the aerial attack. Right after he had completed his landing, Boarski shot out at him like a missile, causing the desire to lead him on a goose chase to build up within the young one's heart. With astounding agility and speed, Axl spread out both of his arms and ran onto the walls, closely followed by the Reploid that used to be a dear friend of his. After about two minutes, the young one looked back at his enemy and laughed, then fired a huge beam of light at a breathtaking speed at him. The sudden, unexpected attack caused Boarski to fall from the wall he had been running on….

The attack also presented a golden opportunity to both X and Zero.

The Crimson Flame launched out at Boarski with his Saber and brought his Saber down on him the way a butcher would bring down his knife on a piece of meat. A scream tore itself from Boarski's throat but was completely ignored by the great Maverick Hunter. A second later, X delivered the finishing blow with his faithful X-Buster, still amazed by what Axl had done, and thinking of how lucky he was to have such wondrous friends near to his heart. Their enemy fell to the ground, his entire body burning with pain….

The eyes of the trio fell on the body of Boarski, filled with the same levels of determination, courage and devotion. The three of them were standing side by side, bearing the appearance of a true team-strong, unified and unbeatable. Boarski stared at them long and hard, unable to figure out why he had been defeated by those that were beneath him….

"How……why…..why did this happen?"

The three of them exchanged glances with each other, and then Axl shrugged.

They all knew something Boarski didn't know-

And would NEVER know.

"I don't believe this…..after….Sigma…..shared…..his power…..with us…..I thought……"

A sad, regretful smile fell onto the face of the young Axl. He placed both of his arms behind his back, closed his eyes and beamed at Boarski….his voice was gentle and warm, but at the same time, it was also filled with…..

Regret.

"Sorry buddy, but you were wrong. Sigma knows nothing of true power."

Those were the last words Boarski heard before he closed his eyes. Awkward silence lingered in the room for a minute-Zero and X became worried about their young friend because of the emotions soaring through his eyes. Axl looked a little sad…..it was as if a part of him didn't want to down Boarski….

X placed a hand on his friend's shoulder softly.

"Are you all right?"

A jubilant smile replaced the sadness in an instant when X's words reached his heart. The eyes of his two friends were soft, fragile stars of affection and concern…..both of them were worried about him.

Both of them really cared about him.

His world was at peace. There wasn't anything but golden sunlight shimmering within his young soul….and the light was warm, gentle…..unlike anything he had ever felt before in his life. He spoke to both of them with the nonchalance both of them had become used to, causing both of them to smile.

"I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be? I've got the two of you."

Another beautiful smile bloomed on Zero's face, and dewdrops shot into the gentle eyes of X. The Crimson Flame ignored the temptation to embrace the young Reploid and decided to just speak to him instead.

"You make me think of the days I spent with Iris."

Once again, Axl's eyes became like the eyes of the smallest puppy-bright, innocent and captivating. He turned to the smiling Zero and tilted his head in confusion-

"Who's Iris?"

The response he received caused his heart to fall into the most beautiful realm of warmth…..and it also caused dewdrops to fall into the precious gemstones of his heart.

"Just someone I knew a long time ago."

X smiled at the young one with the highest amount of gratitude, his own eyes shining with teardrops. He knew all about the days Zero spent with Iris, and he knew that the Maverick Hunter loved and cared for her deeply. Hearing him say something like that to Axl brought him a great amount of joy. Silence flowed between the three of them for what felt like an eternity, but then Zero said three words that made all of them enter a world of unending happiness.

"Thank you, Axl."

Golden beams of crystallized starlight broke out over the silent city, and showered the world with everlasting melodies of light and love. The silence engulfing the city was warm and harmless…unlike the silence that had consumed the world before. The winds were no longer rushing about-everything was at ease……the world was resting for a moment, enjoying the light of new bonds that had just been created. Three shooting stars shot through the sky and entered the heavens, entangled in an everlasting bond of serenity…..

And, of course, love.-


	39. Pledges

Rue: (throws a huge batch of confetti into the air) It's official! (kisses just about everyone on the mouth) Isn't this wonderful! Axl actually has a friend! Zero loves him!

(The celebration, which restarted shorty after Jak's abrupt, harsh question, goes on. Oceans of confetti enter into the air, hundreds of people are dancing, embraces are abundant, and some people are even throwing themselves on the ground, sobbing tumultuously. It's the biggest party anyone has ever seen. Half of the participants are singing 'Hallelujah', and the other half is singing 'Joy to the World'.)

Kilik from Soul Calibur 2: I can't believe it. It's actually true. The poor thing actually has a friend now!

Dante of Devil May Cry: IT'S A MIRACLE! A GLORIOUS, WONDROUS MIRACLE! (screams joyously, then throws himself on the Dahaka and smothers him in kisses)

Fayt Leingod from Star Ocean 3: I know how Axl felt. I was misunderstood myself…..(bows head but is instantly raised into the air by Cliff Fittir and other friends)

Link from The Legend of Zelda: _**YESSSSSS! YEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS! (pounds the ground while sobbing happily) YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS-**_

(Suddenly, a mysterious guest interrupts the party. Who could it be?)

(A million pairs of eyes shoot straight to the intruder. It's none other than-)

Rovin: Hey. What's shakin'? (waves)

(Link is obviously ready to kill. He removes a huge sword, which was carved from black diamonds. His eyes become a deadly shade of red.)

Link: I'll show you what's shaking, you lowly son of a-

The magic of a calm, peaceful night fell over the entire Maverick Hunter base. The winds of tension were no longer present-the only winds that were streaming about were the winds of golden, soft and soothing happiness. Sunlight was shimmering in the eyes of and hearts of every living being inside of the base-hundreds of smiles were glowing softly, like small candle flames, and tears were flowing from many pairs of eyes silently. Missions were still being taken care of, but many Reploids were now resting inside of their own dormitories because of the tiring emotions that had consumed them such a short while ago.

Small fireflies were dancing silently throughout the base, watching over every heart their eyes fell on. The silence streaming throughout the base was soft, relaxing, harmless silence….it was the type of silence that could lull one to sleep. Many did fall asleep because of the serene winds blowing throughout the entire place…..dreams were being born with every passing second…

New, unique dreams that were created by the promise of life.

The sleeping Reploids began to dream of things they never would have dreamt of before the nightmare. New and exciting adventures were created in the hearts and souls of many Reploids-some dreamt of new hobbies to pick up, and others just dreamt of new sights to see.

Everyone knew that it was time to live life to the fullest.

When the newborn trio returned to their homebase, they were instantly greeted by both General Signas and the beautiful Navigator, Alia. The gentle Alia told them that the two Red Alert members, Wind Crowrang and Splash Wafly, were killed by Sigma because of wandering thoughts-the two of them wanted to escape from Sigma's evil grip…..

They did escape….

But not in the way they wanted to.

After she gave her dear friends the news about Crowrang and Wafly, she told them of the last Red Alert member-Vanishing Gungaroo. The Red Alert member had taken control of the Tunnel Base weapons factory, which was another part of the Maverick Hunter's underground network. Small forces of Reploid workers conducted weapon development there for the Maverick Hunters inside of the base…..but Gungaroo's latest antics were preventing them from creating even a single blade. The three of them were ready to depart right after she completed her update, but they were obviously exhausted because of everything that had occurred, and so she asked her friends to take some time off for rest.

A little rest wouldn't hurt anything, and nobody has the ability to function when they're drop-dead tired.

Ten minutes passed.

The observatory of the Maverick Hunter base possessed an unimaginable, breathtaking beauty-the wonders of outer space were locked within the windows, which were carved from translucent diamonds. The world outside of the Earth was currently filled with an endless amount of iridescent starlight...and the entire observatory was just beyond peaceful. Small groups of fireflies were making themselves at home in the placid atmosphere...enjoying the profuse, gentle warmth of love. Small streams of starlight were piercing the windows, proudly making themselves known. The air was pleasantly thick with soft, tranquil happiness...

The observatory would have been the perfect place of a sleeping infant to rest in.

Zero was standing right in front of window, gazing out at the everlasting realm with his arms folded across his chest. The great Maverick Hunter's eyes were filled with the calm flames of infinite strength...he bore the appearance of an ancient warrior-strong, silent and wise. His two dear friends, X and Axl, were sitting on the small sofa of the observatory, which was right in the very center of the room. All three of them were gazing out at the beauty of the realm beyond them...each of them holding their own thoughts...the silence streamed between the three of them for what felt like an eternity...but then Zero broke it by speaking to the ones he loved.

"So. We've only got one more step to take before we reach the top. Is that it?"

"Correct." X answered him, his mind on the words Alia had given them. "The Tunnel Base weapons factory is our last destination. We'll go and meet out old friend Sigma right after we liberate the factory."

The kindhearted Maverick Hunter could sense some uneasiness coming from the heart of his dear young friend Axl. He looked at him worriedly, his eyes indescribably soft with compassion. The young one looked like he had something to say-he was the one that wanted the three of them to spend some time in the observatory.

"Axl?"

The young Reploid stopped swinging his feet back and forth, placed his hands in his lap, and looked into the eyes of his worried friend. The look on the young one's face easily shamed the look of the smallest, cutest kitten-Alia would have been all over him if she had been present. The sound of his voice caused him to become even more adorable-he sounded like a child patiently waiting for a gift.

"Yeah?"

A warm smile bloomed on the face of X. "What's on your mind? Why did you want to come here?"

"I don't know..." Axl answered him shyly, staring at his lap. The poor thing was just too cute for words. "I guess I just wanted to talk to you guys, that's all."

"About what?" Zero asked him gently. "Anything in particular? We're all ears."

The smile on X's face told the young one that he too was ready to listen to whatever he had to say. An immeasurably endearing smile lit up Axl's face, and his eyes put every star in the universe to eternal shame. "I...guess I just wanted to...you know...ummmm...talk. About...stuff...since...I'm a part of your family now..."

"Oh. I see what this is. It's show and tell time." The look on Zero's face was just too cool for words. "No problem. Where shall we start?"

X's smile became so large that it caused his face to ache. The young Reploid sitting next to him was obviously a little nervous because he had just been accepted into a new environment-it made him think of how he felt when he first walked into the Maverick Hunter base. Axl removed his hands from his lap, but without even knowing it, he began to swing his feet back and forth again. One of his usual grins lit up his face, causing a smile to bloom on Zero's face.

"Zero?"

_So I'm first._

"Yeah?"

"You said I remind you of the days you spent with Iris, right?"

"That's right."

"You told me that she was just 'someone you knew a long time ago'...but...the looks on your faces told me that she was more than just a passing stranger. Wanna tell me who she was?"

X looked at the Crimson Flame fearfully, knowing that the memories his dear friend had of Iris caused him a great deal of pain whenever they were brought to the surface. The astonishing Maverick Hunter closed his eyes, placed one hand on his hip, and sighed gently...his heart soaring through a sky of beauteous sunlight. "It's okay X. No need to worry." he told his dearest friend with a smile. His eyes were closed, but he could tell that Axl had a similar look on his face-the young one had no desire to stir up bad memories. Zero laughed at both of them kindly, appreciating their concern, and then he began the tale.

"She...was a very dear friend of mine. I met her before I became a Maverick Hunter. Everything that had between us seems like it occurred eons ago, but whenever I think about it, it feels like I just met her yesterday."

The Crimson Flame sat down next to Axl and continued. "Her brother was the Colonel of the Repliforce, which is now extinct. He shared a tight bond with me-the two of us were close companions for quite a while, even though we each had our own view on things. I met her the day I befriended the Colonel...and immediately fell in love with her. Luckily, she fell for me at the very same time, so things worked out. She loved to smile...she had a smile that made my heart melt every time it bloomed. She was just like a small rose-delicate...enchanting...and filled with the light of love. The two of us spent a great deal of time together-she loved being with me...and I loved being with her. Unfortunately...her life was cut short."

The sadness on Axl's face broke his heart. "What happened to her?"

"Well..."

Zero wiped his eyes, successfully restraining dewdrops that wanted to fall from them, and released a sigh. He thought about a response for a moment, and then gave one to his young friend with a bit of reluctance-the answer he was about to give held a fact he wasn't very proud of. "The Colonel and I fought against each other, and the fights we had didn't sit too well with her. He believed in this, I believed in that, he said this, I said that...and so we were forced to fight, and THAT was the end of THAT. Iris, in the end, decided to respect her brother's wishes, and so she too ended up fighting me. I was forced to defend myself...and...so...she died by my hands."

Zero's last words struck Axl's heart like a million arrows dipped in ice. A sharp gasp ripped itself from his throat...and his eyes filled with incalculable sorrow. His voice was a gentle, tender breeze of sympathy...

"I'm sorry. I really am. I shouldn't have asked."

Zero's eyes flew open, and he passed a hard glare to the young Reploid. "I said it was all right, didn't I? You wanted to know, and so I told you. We're here to share, remember?"

"But...how do...how do I...remind you...of HER?"

"Simple. You've got an incredibly pure heart-one that's even more precious that every piece of gold on this Earth. Your smiles, your personality...everything about you says that you're as pure as the light of an angel. Whenever I see you, I think of her, and the times we shared together. I also think of the future, and what it'll bring. So the bottom line is: you've got a special light about your heart that draws individuals towards you. I bet X feels the same way."

X smiled at the young one warmly, confirming Zero's words. An unfathomable amount of happiness bloomed in Axl's eyes, and it caused his face to light up with the melody of ecstatic yet silent disbelief. Silence bloomed between the three of them for a few minutes...and that silence strengthened the bond the three of them shared with each other. The silence between them created a miracle...a miracle that would be forever remembered by all three of them, for all eternity...

It was the miracle of eternal love.

X's mind took a quick trip back in time...he thought of everything he had shared with the young Reploid named Axl...he thought of the promises his young friend made to him...and all of the emotions his heart had experience. Zero was absolutely right about Axl-the young one had a special light around his soul that caused everyone that came into contact with him to think of special memories...and it also caused wondrous emotions to rise to the surface. Evidently the young one had been completely clueless about that fact before Zero told him-the amount of shock on his face told both of the Hunters that. He broke the serene silence shyly, beaming with soft, tender affection.

"So...I really make you happy? I make _**both**_ of you happy?"

Zero looked at the young one as if he had just asked for three green-chickens covered in brown algae, but X answered him happily, with vibrant eyes. "Of course!" he replied merrily. "Your bravery was the only thing that led me through that horrible nightmare! I was able to survive that entire ordeal because of the strength you gave me. My whole world was saved because of you-it's actually a lot better than it was because of you!"

When most people are engrossed in a heart-rending, sentimental movie, their eyes are lit with an extremely high amount of tears, and the smiles on their faces are sweeter than a river of crystallized sugar. That kind of smile lit up the face of the young Reploid. With his eyes glimmering like the mist of ocean water, he embraced both of his dear friends, wanting to explode because of the emotions flowing through his heart. X accepted the embrace with an equal amount of passion-it was like hugging a joyous puppy after a long day of work. Zero also accepted the embrace with an equal amount of passion, but his acceptance gave him the appearance of a tenderhearted, proud father...

"How did the two of you meet each other?" the young Tiger asked his friends after a long period of silence. Zero's eyes widened at the question, but a moment later, he turned away from Axl with folded arms. Confusion entered the eyes of the young Reploid, but X knew why Zero had given him such a response-the Crimson Flame didn't want to go into a long, long story...and the story of how he met X was pretty long. He knew X had the ability to shorten it, and so that was why the baton was passed to him. The legendary Maverick Hunter placed an arm behind his head, laughing warmly.

"Heh heh...to make a long story short...Zero ran into me during one of his excursions and saved my life. Our first meeting occurred while he was battling the Colonel of the Repliforce. Later on he saved my life again...and he joined us here at the Maverick Hunter base."

"Zero...did you have that virus...back then?"

"Axl, that virus was BUILT into my systems. I was BORN with that in me. And YOU removed it."

"Whoa...I'm glad I did too...I'm glad you're okay now..."

The young Reploid looked at Megaman X, his eyes shining with the light of curiosity. "X, what was your past like?"

"Ah-"

The Maverick Hunter's heart dropped about twenty miles, and so he ended up cutting off his own sentence. His eyes became filled with uneasiness...it was as if he couldn't share the memories of his past...because thinking of the past caused him too much pain. And his past was also a very, very long story...

"I...I...don't really know where to begin...I..."

"He was known as both 'Rock'and 'Mega Man' in his previous life. I'm sure you've heard of him-he was the first Reploid Dr.Light brought to life."

Axl's eyes fell onto the Crimson Flame, filled with firm, steadfast affection. X looked over at Zero, thankful for the support. Zero acknowledged the look with a wink, and continued.

"He had a family-a young sister named Roll, a dog named Rush, his brother Proto Man, and of course, his father, Dr. Thomas Light. He battled against Dr.Wily and his fiends for several years...but the battles they shared with each other can't really be described as battles, since the plans Wily created were perfectly harmless, and they really didn't do anything but play around with each other. That peace went on, until Dr. Light became ill, and Wily began to emerge from the shadows with his true colors. When the world of peace began to fall apart, Dr.Light sealed Rock within a capsule so he could live on to fight for Earth...as Mega Man X. Dr.Cain discovered the capsule...and found a new companion. He worked as Cain's assistant for about a week...BUT he became BORED so he became a Maverick Hunter."

Zero's last statement caused X's face to fall-he wasn't expecting the Crimson Flame to end the story on such a pale note. The blue Hunter's eyes widened in playful, gentle anger, and his voice became the voice of a vividly angry school-teacher. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST DID THAT! How could you put it like that! I WAS LONELY!"

"Yeah yeah yeah...Axl gets it." Zero sighed gently, sounding as if he had just been forced to repeat the smallest grocery list a thousand times. X growled at his dearest friend, his eyes radiant with infinite, eternal promises...

_I'm glad you're back._

"Axl...are you ready...to say good-bye?" the blue Hunter asked the young one a moment later, his eyes filled with tender concern once again. For a second, Axl was confused by the question, but then...his eyes welled up with tears...and the warmest smile fell onto his face...

"Yeah. I'm ready, thanks to the two of you. I know that the two of you will be with me if I need you. So, thank you. Both of you."

"Listen."

Zero rose from his seat and looked at both of his friends, his eyes filled with the blazing fires of eternal devotion...the living, breathing phenomenon had the appearance of a soldier that was preparing to pledge eternal allegiance to a ruler...because of his eyes...and the smile on his face. He had the appearance of a warrior honoring a general...a general he was ready to follow into death...

"Before I fall asleep, let me say this. Axl, I, Zero, Captain of the Special Zero Unit, pledge undying devotion and loyalty to you. I shall protect you with my life to honor this pledge, and I promise to stand by you until the end of time. If you ever need me for ANYTHING, ANYTHING AT ALL, just let me know, and I'll do everything I can to satisfy your request. X, I apologize for leaving you behind not once but TWICE-I hope you can forgive me for the pain I've put you through."

The magnificent Hunter's apology surprised the legendary X. A small gasp tore itself from his mouth, but then his eyes became softer than the smoothest river of buttermilk...

"Zero, it's okay. Everything's fine now, that's all that matters."

"I'm glad to hear it. Now, good night."

Those were the last words he said to either one of them. The Crimson Flame walked out of the observatory, once again proving that he was the quintessence of perfection. He was like a lone ranger, walking off into the night...

"He's just too cool for words, isn't he?"

Axl shrugged as if nothing important had occurred. "Yep. He doesn't really hesitate on anything either."

A second later the young one's eyes widened.

"Wait a minute. I'm supposed to be his roommate!"

"You'd better hurry, or you'll end up in your own dorm tonight."

Like a young child racing after his biggest brother, Axl shot up from his place and ran off after the Crimson Flame, leaving behind a silent...happy...Maverick Hunter. X closed his eyes and kept them closed for a few minutes, thinking...and then these words left his mouth...

"Thanks...Dad. For...everything."

Ten minutes later, Mega Man X left the observatory...with this thought on his mind.

_I'm the luckiest guy alive.—_

**Review response time.**

Uzu-Chan: YOU DROPPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH AND HAD THE NERVE TO TELL ME YOU JUST FORGOT? THAT WAS IT? WHO CARES! AS LONG AS YOU'RE ALL RIGHT-THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS! SHEESH...i just hope you can catch up, though...should I slow down? (hugs)

Khilai: Thank you. (bows) I can't thank you enough for giving Axl a friend-Zero! Our Zeroes are pretty cool. Thank you so much. As for my descriptions, look at yours for a VERY LONG TIME...and see if you can still say the same thing. please don't make zero die...and you're still the Queen of Writers.

(Dante: If she kills Zero I'll slap her silly...

Jak from Jak3: Shut up...it's 'fan mail' time...)

MyGBAcanTalk: Hi! Good to see you! Would you REALLY like to see a sequel to this? I do have an X8 adaptation all planned out...but what do you think? Do you wanna see an X4, X5 or X6 adaptation, or should I just run to the drawing board and think of a sequel to 'Strings of Fate'? I don't know about the chicken thing though...

Star Ninja: You're very welcome! I wish I could have friends like these too. Maybe someday I will.


	40. Infinity

(The celebration continues in the mystical land of Zanarkand. Oceans of confetti are still streaming into the air, cheers are still piercing the air, and millions of people are letting themselves go wild. Smiles are being poured from hearts like waterfalls. In a small office, however, is the secretive, mysterious Vin, one of Jak2's stars…..)

Vin: Hey out there. Can anyone hear me? Good. I think I'd like to take this time to apologize on behalf of the author. Someone named Uzu-Chan pointed out that she made a mistake, saying that our heroes were in the middle of Gungaroo's hideout when they were actually inside of Boarski's! I'm very, very sorry!

Wakka of Final Fantasy 10: Who's up for Blitzball!

Millions of people: (cheer)

Lara Croft, Tomb Raider: She would also like to apologize for the confusion she may have caused about Mega Man's history. The story Zero gave to Axl is not the true of story of either Mega Man or Mega Man X-she made it all up. We apologize for the frustration it may have caused. Thank you.

Fox McCloud of Star Fox Assault: YEEEEEEAAAAHHHHH! WHO'S UP FOR DDR!

Rikku of Final Fantasy X-2: I'm SOOOOO in!

Slippy Toad: Count me in!

Seriously, I cannot tell anyone about how happy I am to know that Khilai's Axl has a friend now. The characters in my little bits are still celebrating that fact. I know this is coming to an end, but I hope all of you will be back for my next adventure! Khilai, if anything happens to Zero, you'll have to suffer the consequences….

Paine of Final Fantasy X-2: What? (puts away guns) I won't do anything. I swear.

Zero: Yeah…I won't either……(looks like a vicious black panther)

Uzu-Chan, please don't trouble yourself! Thank you for letting me know that you're still alive, but if you're busy, you're busy! Take your time! Just glad to know everything's okay.

Hugo from Suikoden 3: I guess we only have one Axl to worry about now-

Dante: The one in Uzu-Chan's story, right?

Rovin: (cautiously steps in)

Jak from Jak3: Hey there. You're just in time. Say hello to my little friend. (aims humongous machine gun at him) You've been given the 'Most Hated Character' award. Isn't that great? 'Bye! (waves)

The world of the Maverick Hunters was a calm, serene world of rich, lucid sunlight…..it was a world where nothing could be disturbed or destroyed….a world where nothing could be torn apart…..or held back. Nighttime had fallen upon the entire base, but the sunlight of rhapsody was still present inside of everyone's heart-all of them felt as if they were bathing in a river of creamy silk because of the smiles on their faces…and because of the smiles in their eyes. The nightmare that had literally killed so much was now a distant memory……

And it was because of a single Reploid.

Miracles could happen-all of them knew that now. That fact was secured deep within their hearts and minds……all of them knew that anything could happen…….if hope was nearby. Nothing was impossible….the word 'impossible' didn't even exist anymore….

And it was all because of a single Reploid.

11:45.

General Signas was resting inside of his dormitory, which had been unkempt during the nightmare but was now completely clean. The general's eyes were glued to the screen of his computer……and his fingers were swiftly working on the keyboard. His mind was at ease, however-working on reports came as second nature to him. He had the ability to close his eyes and work on them-he was perfectly used to conducting research and finishing off reports that were presented to him about the outside world. Soft, peaceful music was playing inside of his dormitory, and tiny fireflies were making themselves comfortable…..creating beautiful rays of light that brought great pleasure to the general's heart. There was a small smile on his face…..

A smile of miraculous happiness.

Axl's smile entered his mind the way a soft wind flew across the mountains. Gentle laughter drifted from his lips, and his smile became even warmer. Recent events filled his mind shortly after the young one's smile vanished………and because of those memories, his heart became filled with joy. A single Reploid had restored the light of something very precious…..he had actually saved very many lives. Zero was a phenomenally strong Maverick Hunter…..and a very important friend.

He couldn't imagine living without Zero.

One pebble…..has the power….to change everything.

"We owe you our lives, little one."

The dormitory of the Crimson Flame was a simple yet striking place of incredible, tranquil dreams. It was a wondrous realm of crystal blue starlight…….it was as if his room was floating out in the middle of space. Small crystallized stars of blue fire created a lot of mystical light…..and the atmosphere was unlike any other. Calm, peaceful….the peace of the dormitory defied all description. The young Black Tiger was unable to think of anything to say for a moment….since the room looked like a wonderland of stars. After a few moments of silence, however, he spoke to his dear friend happily, wearing a very bright smile.

"Hey! This place is beyond cool. It isn't anything like my old dorm. Pretty awesome, Zero!"

Before the nightmare occurred, Zero would have rather died than speak of trivial matters, like the decorations of his room, for example…..but having his life saved changed everything. The Crimson Flame smiled at the excited young Reploid, who was like a puppy entering a new home. "Yeah, I don't really believe in fancy, glossy decorations." he said to his dear friend warmly, his eyes shimmering with an indescribable light. "Alia told me that I throw more stuff in here, but I do things my way. My dorm, my rules."

Axl sat on the floor and gazed out of the window……his eyes glued to the crystal blue stars floating in the midnight sky. "I like it the way it is. It's pretty neat." he said, leaving not a speck of doubt anywhere. The young one looked just like a small puppy staring out of the window…..

He was beyond adorable.

With a soft, warm chuckle, the Crimson Flame sat down on his bed and removed his laptop from his dresser. Preparing for an hour of work, he opened it up and eyed the happy young Reploid, wearing a smile on his own face.

"Hey Axl?"

Axl's eyes fell on him, shining with a light he had never seen before…..and it was a beautiful, warm kind of light…….

"Yeah?"

"When you become a Maverick Hunter, you're going to have to deal with a lot of work. You know, reports, research…..things like that."

The answer he received was completely unexpected.

"I'll be able to handle it. No sweat. I can take anything."

"Well, you just didn't strike me as the type that would enjoy working on reports, that's all."

The young one placed a hand behind his head and laughed. Alia would have died if she had been able to see him.

"Heh heh. I did a lot of work back in the day. Anything's fine with me!"

Golden silence fell into the room, drenching the two of them like a soft, creamy blanket of sunlight. Axl's eyes went right back out to the eternal ocean of starlight…..and Zero's eyes were on the monitor of his laptop…..the only noise that could be heard was the sound of Zero's fingers gently touching the keys of the keyboard….

The Crimson Flame was working on several reports for the General, that was true….but his mind was on his friend, who had been through so much pain. He knew that Axl was strong enough to take care of himself, and he was perfectly fine because he was surrounded by friends that loved him…..but losing a loved one was hard. He had been forced to deal with the pain of losing a loved one himself-two loved ones. He knew Axl was all right….but he cared for the young Reploid so much…..

And saying 'goodbye' to someone you loved was never easy.

"Zero?"

"Yeah?"

Axl's voice became sad. "I'm really sorry about Iris. I really am. I wish I could have done something."

"What?" Zero almost rose from his place. "You……you weren't even…….!"

The shock that consumed the Maverick Hunter was too great to control. The widened eyes of the Crimson Flame fell right on the puppy-like eyes of Axl….filled with disbelief and affection.

He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"I know. I just wish I could have done something to save her. You lost someone that obviously meant a lot to you. Since you mean a lot to me, I just wish I could do something about what happened. I really am sorry."

"You're making it seem as if you were THERE the whole time with us! Don't give yourself unnecessary pain, Axl! You had nothing to do with anything that occurred back then! Be reasonable!"

The eyes of the young one told Zero that he was willing to let everything go, but with a bit of reluctance. The gentle, vibrant gemstones of heavenly light went right back to the ocean of stars…….and the heart of the young one fell under immense regret. Zero could NOT believe that Axl was miserable over what had happened between him and Iris-it was as if the young one was blaming himself for what had happened.

It just didn't make any sense!

The volume of the Maverick Hunter's voice increased a little, and anger lit up his eyes. Axl had been through so much pain, and here he was blaming himself for something that happened an eternity ago..!

"I now know why X became so upset with you a little while back. Your tendency to take on the troubles of others without even thinking of yourself is a little IRRITATING, to say the least."

But that tendency was what made Axl's heart so pure.

"He told you about that?"

Zero's voice became softer. "Yeah. Right before we left to rescue you from Hyenard's clutches, he told me everything. You two went through a lot together. I'd like to thank you for taking care of him, Axl. I'm glad the two of you became good friends."

"I am too. Hey."

"Yes?"

The adorable eyes of the Maverick Hunter gazed into Zero's for a short while….shimmering with the warmth of innocence and love. The eyes of the young Reploid were like the eyes of the tiniest lion cub-incredibly gentle, beautiful and filled with shyness. The Crimson Flame tried to figure out what was on the young one's mind, but then, a few moments later, the face of his young friend fell a thousand miles. A heart-rending frown bloomed on his face-he looked like someone that had just been tricked into throwing away everything he owned. "What is it?" Zero asked him, his voice filled with compassion.

"I don't know. I just…….I don't know how to thank you guys."

The smile of an irritated yet loving mother crashed right onto the Hunter's face. Axl was just too sweet for words-it was as if he had just said 'I love you'. The ethereal light of a shy child was still within his eyes….he looked like someone that had just been given a brand-new chance at life. The look on his face almost brought Zero to tears……

"Axl…..what are we going to do with you? You don't have to thank us for anything. We owe you our lives. I owe you my life. You owe us nothing."

"Skip the whole 'I owe you my life' thing. You almost lost your life-I don't want you to throw it away on me anytime soon."

"Okay, so what if I throw it away ten years from now?"

The tone of the young Reploid was firm. He had given Zero no joke.

"You know what I mean. I'm glad I make you happy, by the way. It's nice to know…that I remind of you the times you spent with your girl."

For the very first time in his life….Zero was speechless. He tried to think of something to say, but nothing could be said. The world of vocabulary failed him. There wasn't anything to say-words were meaningless, worthless. Thoughts were worthless. The very light of the young one's heart put everything to shame….but at the same time, the world was put at peace because of Axl's kindness. Everything that was real became a part of fantasy-reality lost all of its meaning because of the young one's heart. The look on his face, the sound of his voice…..his young friend was no ordinary Reploid. He…..it was as if he had descended from the heavens for some reason…..

Ten minutes of warm silence passed. Zero gave up on trying to think of a response and went right back to work….but his mind was still on the young Reploid, who was gazing out at the night sky. Everything was warm, calm and peaceful…..the way it should always be…..the warmth that filled the dormitory was destroyed all levels of comprehension….

Minutes felt like warm years. Time slowly passed by like gentle winds of Summer….but it held no meaning for the Crimson Flame. He broke the eternally warm silence by speaking to his young friend, wearing the warmest smile in his eyes.

"What's on your mind?"

"Nothing much. I was just thinking of the days Red and I shared together. We had a lot of fun just staring out at sunsets and things like that. He would always tell me about his research….and then, later, he would teach me a lot of cool things, y'know."

"Do you miss him?"

"You know…..I used to. A lot. But now…."

A small smile lit up Axl's face.

"See…it's strange……but whenever I think of the old times….the times I spent with Red……my heart doesn't hurt anymore. It's not like I don't care or anything. I do miss him….it's just……I don't feel any pain. The pain's gone…and that's why I think I'm ready to say good-bye, you know? I'm able to say good-bye to my past….because of what I have gained for my future. I have you two-I'm not alone. So I'm not afraid of anything anymore. I have what I need."

Silence gently made its way into the dormitory like a soft, glimmering wind of crystallized dewdrops. Zero was unable to come up with a response-his eyes, which were gentle gemstones of true devotion, stayed on the young Reploid……Axl, on the other hand, was confused by the silence. The young one tilted his head, the way a confused puppy would, and spoke to his friend worriedly.

"Is that weird?"

Zero's voice was soft and calm…..like the voice of the ocean on a quiet sunny day…..but anyone with half a brain could tell that the Crimson Flame was struck silly by admiration. "No." he said to his friend kindly, his eyes sparkling like the stars in the morning sky. "That didn't sound weird at all. I'm glad you told me that."

Axl beamed at him with every ounce of affection within his heart. "I am too. Thanks for listening to me."

Peaceful silence returned to the dorm. The crystal blue stars became golden balls of empyrean light…..and they created small rivers of sunlight. An ethereal golden orb of light began to make its descent from sleep a few minutes later….but it wasn't the sun. The arrival of the mystical orb brought about the arrival of young birds-flocks of birds that had learned how to fly during the previous day soared through the endless ocean, meeting the beautiful orb.

It was all a part of a miracle.

"It's……isn't that….."

"Yes. It's the Orb of Pallas. It's the equivalent to Haley's Comet-the orb is not something you can see everyday. It emerges from sleep every three thousand years. It's only visible for a short amount of time, but it can be seen all over the world. Pretty amazing, isn't it?"

"I wonder if X sees it."

"I know he's watching all of this. He's still awake, just like we are. The thoughts on his mind are preventing him from falling asleep."

"And you know all of this how?"

"We've been friends for an eternity, so I know him pretty well. When you spend a lot of time around someone that's close to you, your heart unites with that heart of that person."

"Zero…..do you think……"

Zero laughed at him warmly, his eyes gazing out at the beauteous, surreal ocean. It was hard to believe in the word 'reality' anymore. Nothing seemed real. "Of course I do." he told the young one, smiling.

He had never smiled so much before in his life.

"You're a part of our family now. Of course we'll learn how to read you too, so don't be jealous."

Axl laughed at those words. "I'm not. I just wanted to know if I could become really close to you guys….that's all. What do you think will happen after we take down Sigma?"

"He'll retreat to his precious chambers and come up with another plan. In other words, nothing big will happen. He'll come back, I'm sure of it. I know him well. The next time he comes back, though….will be the last time we'll ever see him."

"So…..you think…….after we take him down again…..it'll all be over?"

"Yes. Don't ask me how I know. I just know. I'm listening to my heart on this, and I've never been wrong yet."

A second later, the Maverick Hunter did something he thought he would never do.

He began to laugh.

The laughter was completely unexpected……and completely indescribable. Zero had laughed before, yes-but the laughter had been either sarcastic or bitter, and it had been directed at enemies. But now….he was really laughing. It was like watching the sun rise over a horizon that had spent an eternity in darkness……..the laughter was like newborn music…..

"Hahahahahahaha-you've turned me into a big softie, Axl! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!"

The young one playfully frowned at his dear friend, who was about to fall off of his bed because of the laughter he was engulfed in, but then a small smile broke out on his face. Gentle laughter began to leave his mouth, but then it soon turned into waves of laughter. The two friends weren't able to do anything but laugh for several minutes…..but the laughter was like notes of song being played on a harp-melodious, golden and serene. Reploids that passed by Zero's room were shocked to hear the Maverick Hunter laughing-many of them thought that Zero had even gone insane. The Hunter had never laughed happily before in his life……

The dormitory of Mega Man X was just a couple of dorms away from Zero's-it wasn't too far. His dorm was not silent, but it was filled serenity-the Maverick Hunter had peaceful music playing on his sound system. He enjoyed listening to music whenever he wanted to relax, and it certainly was the perfect time to unwind. The song he had chosen matched the miracle outside-the soft voice of the female singer met the magical, deep beauty of the stars…..and the Orb of Pallas seemed to be smiling because of the melody. X was on his bed, arms behind his head….and a smile on his face. He wasn't near his two friends, but he had a pretty good idea about what they were doing at the moment-the bond he had with the two of them was tighter than tight. His laptop wasn't on…there weren't any documents on the floor, or on his dresser.

Everything was perfectly quiet.

Ten minutes of laughter passed by, then the laughter slowly began to drift away. Both of them began to wipe the mist of tears from their eyes, beaming with the light of pure, pristine affection. The stars of the golden ocean continued to watch over them as they sat on the floor together, lost within the depths of true, glorious happiness….

Once again, Zero was the one responsible for breaking the silence.

"I feel like an idiot. I've never laughed before in my life. You really have turned things upside down, Axl."

The young one stared at him for a moment, and then fell out on the floor, as if his body had been consumed by exhaustion in a flat second. "You've never laughed before?" he asked his friend, sounding like someone that found out a weird, bizarre secret. "Jeez, sounds like you've had a pretty rough life."

"It's almost one-thirty. We'd better get some shut-eye, or else we won't be able to perform tomorrow."

"Perform? We're not a part of a circus, you know."

"Say something like that again and I'll toss you outside."

The young one yawned, bearing a great resemblance to the tiniest, sleepiest puppy.

Alia would have died if she had seen him.

"Zero?"

"Yeah?"

Axl rubbed at his eyes. "Thanks."

"For what?"

The answer he received brought tears to his eyes.

"For wanting to be my friend."

Silence struck the Maverick Hunter in the form of a tremendous thunderbolt. The eyes of his young friend were gazing into his, filled with the immortal light of true innocence….and with the eternal, legendary light of love. For once in his life, Zero was unable to come up with any words to say, or even any words to think. Nothing could describe the feelings soaring through his soul…..it was as if the young Reploid had some sort of healing aura surrounding his heart. Words were still as meaningless as pennies-that fact frustrated the Maverick Hunter….but a part of him knew something.

A part of him knew that words weren't needed.

There were times in life that could not be described with words, or even with pictures.

There were times that could not be described by anything.

They spoke for themselves….in an inexplicable yet deep, profound way.

This was one of those times.

Zero closed his eyes, allowing himself to sink into the wondrous magic that was unfolding right outside of his window. The sky had become black again, but the beauty of a new miracle was blooming-the stars were now a bright topaz blue, and they were emitting silvery rays of warm light. The stars were sacred, precious jewels of melodies….melodies that were even more precious than time.

Millions of diamond blue stars were soaring through the heavens peacefully, emitting a gentle aura of silence for the world to hear. The light of dawn was about to rise over the Maverick Hunter base, but the calm black oceans of starlight were still awake, and they were shining with every ounce of strength they had. The stars seemed to be smiling down upon everyone…..the light of their hearts proved that fact. The heavens seemed to be smiling down on the entire world….

A miracle like this had never been seen before.

The world had been sleeping for such a long time.

3:00.

Mega Man X rose from the peaceful slumber he had been in with a gentle yawn. He opened his eyes, stretched out his arms and scanned his surroundings with a smile of appreciation on his face. His music was still playing in the background the way a soft wind would caress a new morning….and small fireflies were still resting in the warm atmosphere. For a few minutes his mind focused on many thoughts…thoughts of what had happened between him and his friends…..but after those thoughts, a thunderbolt of disbelief pierced his heart. Was the nightmare actually gone, or was Zero still locked within the clutches of sleep?

Reality no longer existed.

"X! Captain X!"

With a tiny bit of reluctance, the kind Maverick Hunter answered the Reploid's call on his communicator. "What is it, Sapphire?" he asked the young male Reploid worker, who was wearing a bright, sunny smile.

"Navigator Alia just informed us of Vanishing Gungaroo's latest activity, sir. He's destroying our underground weapons factory with the desire to rebuild it as his own empire, sir. He must be taken care of as soon as possible."

A playful, soft sigh left X's mouth. The workload of a Maverick Hunter was infinite. He couldn't even enjoy the morning, but oh well. Work was work, and more work and more work and-

"Thank you, Sapphire. I'll rouse my two friends, and we'll deal with the situation."

He rose from his bed, the second his friend Sapphire vanished from his communicator's screen. Another small yawn left his lips, and then he turned off his sound system….and left….

Completely unaware of what he was about to find.

He came upon Zero's room in more than two minutes. As soon as he reached the main control panel, which was on the side of his door, he pressed a red button and spoke into the intercom of the panel, still wearing a very warm smile. He knew his friend well-he didn't really see Zero as the slumber party type….even though he had asked Axl to become his new roommate. Axl was pretty energetic, but the Crimson Flame was a stick in the mud, especially compared to puppy-like Axl……

I hope they had fun in there.

"Zero! Zero? Are you awake in there?"

No answer.

"Hmm. Axl? Can you hear me?"

The only thing that answered him was silence.

"Hmmm."

X punched in an identification code on the panel, letting the system of his dormitory know that he wanted to enter his friend's room. The mechanical sliding door removed itself from his path………

And allowed him to see the most precious sight.

His mouth dropped….his eyes widened…..and his heart almost stopped.

"Oh…..my……."

It was unbelievable.

The sight that met his eyes….was a sight he would never, EVER forget.

Axl was in the arms of the Maverick Hunter, smiling…..both of them were sleeping soundly, lost in infinite, peaceful dreams. The young Reploid was in his friend's arms, looking a small, content lion cub sleeping under the care of his mother……the usually stoic, curt Maverick Hunter bore the sweet appearance of a loving parent-protective, affectionate and gentle. There was no smile on his face, but one could easily tell that his heart was at peace.

The mother wolf was caring for the baby tiger.

Or in this case, the FATHER wolf was caring for the baby tiger.

The shock on X's face was quickly replaced by a huge smile….a smile that became so huge that it caused his face to hurt. His eyes lit up with tears…..tears of joy that resembled the stars floating outside. He looked like a young child cradling the cutest animal….or someone watching an extremely emotional movie. What he was seeing was just too cute for words.

"Awwwwwww. Alia would just keel over and die if she saw this."

I really don't want to wake them up. I should just go to Gungaroo's by myself.

Wish I had a camera.

Camera…..

Mischief rushed right into the eyes of the Maverick Hunter. He had a camera. It was right in his room! They weren't going to wake up within the next couple of minutes, were they? He had time to run and get it!

A huge grin of mischief replaced the small mischievous smile that bloomed on his face a moment later. Leaving the door to Zero's dorm open, he darted out of the dorm and rushed right back to his, grinning like a child that was about to take a peek at the latest batch of Christmas presents. He entered his own dorm room, picked up his camera, and ran right back out, stifling waves of laughter that wanted to escape-

"What's he doing?" a Reploid worker asked his friend as they watched the normally calm Hunter dart into Zero's room. His companion shrugged.

"I have no idea. X usually isn't into games."

"Looks like he was carrying a camera or something. You know, Captain Zero was acting pretty weird last night-he was actually laughing at something."

"He's probably just really happy, that's all. He almost died. It's time to get over our old ways and stick in the new ways, you know."

X held up the camera and aimed it at the two, unable to restrain the excitement flowing with him. It was as if he had discovered a brand-new civilization-he thought Zero would have died rather than cradle a friend in his arms, but there he was, right in front of him, holding the young Reploid named Axl.

The sight was just too precious to lose.

Laughing like a child sneaking into Santa's sack, X pressed the magical button, and-

_SNAP!_

**_"YES!"_**

"What in the hell do you think you're doing!"

"Wow! You're up! That was fast!"

The Crimson Flame rubbed at his eyes, quietly fuming with anger-he had just been awakened by the flash of the camera. "You know, I would appreciate it if you found another way to say 'good morning'."

The grin on X's face was humongous. He put the camera behind his back, completely forgetting about its ability to develop pictures in an instant-the picture he had taken fell to the floor. "I wanted to take a picture!" he said, sounding like someone that had just won a two-month long cruise. "You guys were SOOOOOOOOO cute!"

"For your information, this isn't a zoo."

"I know but you two were just too precious! Awwwwww! You were the father lion nursing the baby wolf cub!"

"You know what? You're just as bad as Alia now."

"Hey……"

X's eyes widened in happiness. "Axl! Good morning!"

The young Reploid opened his eyes, looking someone waking up in a new home for the very first time. His gentle eyes fell onto the face of Zero, who was obviously annoyed by something….and then his beautiful gemstones fell on the wide grin of X. The sound of his voice was just too cute for words.

"X….what are you doing?"

"Take a look at THIS piece of gold!"

With an immeasurable amount of pride, the Maverick Hunter held up the picture he had taken as if it were a part of a new planet. Axl took it from his hand, stared at it for a second, and smiled.

"Awwww! Zero!"

The look on Zero's face was priceless. He looked like he wanted to shove poison down both of their throats.

"Why didn't you sleep in your bed, pal?"

Zero closed his eyes with a heavy sigh-the Maverick Hunter had such a big ego, and he wasn't about to say why he had decided to hold the young one in his sleep. The reason would have been too hard to describe anyway.

The concept of description was a fake concept.

The smile on Axl's face was a bright one, radiant with gratitude….and of course…

Devotion.

"Jeez….you didn't have to….wait, did I bore you to death or something?"

"NO. I FELL ASLEEP ON MY OWN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I DECIDED TO FALL ASLEEP THAT WAY. END OF STORY."

"Is somebody not having a good morning?"

"X, if you don't stuff it, I'll take my Saber and-"

"You can't kill me. I'm your friend!"

"Well then, let me have that picture."

"WHY! Does someone ELSE like it?"

Silence.

"It's okay, Zero! It's cute! You KNOW IT IS-OW!"

"I'm leaving." the Crimson Flame said, sheathing his Saber (which he had just used to bonk X on the head). With the aura of perfection about him, he silently walked out of his dormitory and left behind his two friends. Still wearing the biggest grin of all time, X nudged Axl in the chest-

"It's okay. He knows it's cute. HE JUST DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH HIS OWN INSECURITIES, THAT'S ALL!"

"If you don't cut it out he'll probably beat you down, X."

"Who cares? I like torturing him! He knows it's cute. He may act like a boulder in the mud, but he's really a big ol'KITTY CAT!"

Waiting for Zero to rush back into the room and kill X, Axl sat still for a moment and focused on the sounds around him, playfully pretending to be uneasy, then he shook his head, rose from his place and silently walked out of the room….holding back laughter. X followed him a few moments later….

After he placed the picture on Zero's table.

Hi! There are only a few chapters left-wow. I wonder how I'll feel when all of this is over. Thank you everyone, for always being with me! I'm thinking about writing a Mega Man Battle Network fic right along with the X8 fic-what do you think about that?

If there are any newbies are out that want to stop by and comment on this, here's a little something to think about-THIS IS NO SHOUNEN FIC. I don't even know if that's the correct term, but our heroes ARE NOT in love with each other. Please understand this. This is about friendship, not about pink flowers and chocolate hearts. I hope my message reaches everyone clearly. I hope I can actually change someone's life or something with my work. I'm obviously reaching someone, though (looks at review amount). When this first started, I only had about two reviews.

Now I have a huge family of fans!

By the way, just in case any of you have heard of Final Fantasy 9, X was listening to 'Melodies of Life' in his room. That's the song I listened to while writing this chapter-well, the Silent Mix, anyway, from the Plus soundtrack. That song is the theme for this story. Here are the lyrics to the song.

Alone for a while I've been searching through the dark

For traces of the love you left inside my lonely heart

To weave by picking up the pieces that remain

Melodies of lifelove's lost refrain

Our paths they did cross, though I cannot say just why

We met, we laughed, we held on fast, and then we said goodbye

And who'll hear the echoes of stories never told?

Let them ring out loud till they unfold

In my dearest memories, I see you reaching out to me

Though you're gone, I still believe that you can call out my name

A voice from the past, joining yours and mine

Adding up the layers of harmony

And so it goes, on and on

Melodies of life,

To the sky beyond the flying birdsforever and beyond

So far and away, see the bird as it flies by

Gliding through the shadows of the clouds up in the sky

I've laid my memories and dreams upon those wings

Leave them now and see what tomorrow brings

In your dearest memories, do you remember loving me?

Was it fate that brought us close and now leaves me behind?

If I should leave this lonely world behind

Your voice will still remember our melody

Now I know we'll carry on

Melodies of life

Come circle round and grow deep in our hearts

Performed by Emiko Shiratori


	41. Fury of Light

Vanishing Gungaroo had taken over the underground weapons factory in the vast city of Tridon. The normally peaceful factory was now a hot-bed of furious chaos-it looked as if there was a war taking place, right inside of the factory. The temperature was shocking, especially compared to what the trio had become accustomed to-it was unbearably hot. None of them preferred a hot sunny day over a calm, cool one-even cold temperatures were held in higher graces. Fires were spreading all over the place the way wildfires shot through a rainforest…..and Gungaroo's helpers were creating massive destruction all over the place. Fortunately, the Reploid workers of the factory had escaped from the devastating chaos-they were safe and secure inside of the Maverick Hunter base. One thing was for certain, though-

The factory needed to be taken out of evil's clutches.

A special type of shield was needed for survival, and that shield went by the name of "Ride Armor". The three Reploids of the Maverick Hunter base successfully located three perfectly unharmed suits-but the newly-acquired transportation didn't please Zero at all. The Crimson Flame was not used to being around hyper-active, vibrant individuals, and Axl was certainly the type of individual that was thrilled by almost everything his eyes fell upon. The young one had never set his eyes on Ride Armor before, so it was like taking a small toddler to the ice cream factory for the very first time-

"YEAAAAHHH! YEE-HAAA! TAKE THIS, SCUMBAGS!"

Mega Man X and his dearest friend watched the young one plow his way through the hordes of enemies-Axl looked like a young boy playing with army action figures. Another grin lit up the face of Mega Man X, and he looked over at Zero-

"He's no different from a child at Christmas, don't you agree?"

Silence.

"Aw, come on. You think he's adorable too, don't you? Just like a widdle puppy."

"Okay, now it's official. Both you AND Alia have gone COMPLETELY insane."

"Why do you say that?"

"Come on-'WIDDLE'? Are you serious? You never would have said that before any of this."

"Admit it. Axl has changed you too. That picture I took is perfect evidence. Now let's take care of our mission, liddle Zero."

Normally, the missions of a Maverick Hunter were solemn matters that needed to be dealt with in a swift, effective manner. Before Axl came into his life, X took care of his missions the way a true, dutiful soldier would, but now…..

It all seemed fun.

Fun.

Someone could have easily described the three of them as a "dream team"-all three of them worked perfectly together. It was as if they all shared the same mind, the same heart, the same goal, the same soul. Time flew right by them, smiling upon them….happy to be out of the nightmare that had plagued their hearts so badly. The mission, which would have been a strictly serious manner without the young Axl, was being taken care of perfectly, but the three Reploids were actually enjoying themselves. All of them felt like true soldiers of justice-not just individuals that had duties to attend to.

An hour passed drifted right by the three friends the way lightning struck a darkened horizon. Liberating the underground weapon factory wasn't a difficult task-the minions of Gungaroo weren't too hard to deal with, especially since the Ride Armors were operating perfectly….

And now everything just seemed fun.

At one point, the three of them entered a black room, which was filled with nothing but green, slimy liquid……it was easy to tell that it was radioactive waste, which was probably left behind from Gungaroo's activities. Axl told both of his friends that his former ally was an inventor-someone that loved to invent perfectly useless objects just for simple pleasure.

Or the liquid could have emerged from his own body.

He could have performed experiments on himself.

Thirty more minutes went by flawlessly.

The three Reploids arrived at the domain of Vanishing Gungaroo's….which was drenched in nothing but silence. Cold….hard….

Silence.

The temperature was no longer unbelievably hot but cold. Smog was slowly drifting through the darkened skies above their enemy's home…….

Or was it just fog?

The silence created a large amount of confusion, for all three Reploids. The dark, misty skies above them were adding suspense to the occasion…..no one could be seen, nothing could be heard…..everything was lost in silence. Eternal, cold silence……the silence that emerged from slumber after a long, dark storm of thunder….

Axl couldn't sense Gungaroo's energy levels-that fact created even more confusion. The young one had successfully found Boarski, who had decided to hide himself within the realm of darkness…..but Gungaroo was either playing hide-and-seek VERY well….

Or he just wasn't present.

The young Reploid folded his arms after a few minutes of awkward silence and sighed. Frustration entered his youthful, exuberant eyes, causing him to look like a child that had just been forced to give up a batch of toys. His eyes continued to scan his surroundings, but nothing he saw satisfied him.

And nothing he saw prepared him for what was about to happen.

"This isn't right……where is he? He couldn't have left!"

"He could have gone off to Sigma's headquarters…." X said softly, placing a hand on his forehead. The legendary Maverick Hunter and his dearest friend Zero continued to scan their environment…….and both of them were wearing confusion in their eyes. Zero, however, wasn't just confused by the silence-his eyes were also filled with anger. The Crimson Flame didn't like to be kept waiting-

"Where could he be? This isn't like him-I know he has to be here, somewhere-"

Zero whirled around to Axl, his eyes radiant with urgent concern and fear. Three words left his mouth in a rush-

"Axl! Watch out!"

The events that followed happened in a flash.

The young Axl looked back at his friend in confusion, but was instantly knocked out of harm's way. The Crimson Flame had just rescued his dear friend from an explosion he had detected seconds before Axl spoke. The explosion was a massive one-it pierced the ears of the three Reploids….and massive flames rose to the gray skies….creating an ocean of dark, dynamic force……

It wasn't anything like the ocean they had seen several hours ago.

The enormous explosion left behind a large fire, which created an immense level of heat-and the fire was only inches away from Mega Man X. Axl was on the ground, his eyes glued to the fire……and Zero was standing over him, shielding him…..

The individual responsible for creating the explosion made himself known a few moments later.

Vanishing Gungaroo emerged from the sea of flames, bearing the appearance of a bloodthirsty vampire. The member of Red Alert was riding in Ride Armor-it was probably one of the suits that had been left behind by the three Reploids. He truly did have the look of a vampire about him-his eyes were a deadly, devilish shade of red, and there was a smile……a sickening, twisted smile on his face. The Maverick was evidently ready to kill……but the look about him….was not normal. During his days as a Red Alert member, Vanishing Gungaroo had been a huge, self-centered "prince"…..but he definitely didn't act like a blood-thirsty, vicious vampire……

Sigma had gotten to all of the Red Alert members.

The deadly, poisonous melody of fire streamed into the ears of the three friends. The gray sky became even darker and murkier, like a swamp that did not want to be disturbed….and the eyes of their newest enemy were dark red gems of blood….he was small, yes-that was true……..but…….

Size didn't count.

He looked just like a true, malicious vampire.

A very hungry one.

"Are you all right!" Zero asked his young friend, his eyes shimmering with compassion. Axl nodded once, his own eyes blazing with the determination Mega Man X had come to love so well. "I'm fine." he assured his dear friend firmly, unsheathing both of his guns. His beautiful gemstones were on fire-they held even more power than Gungaroo's eyes. Zero looked over at Mega Man X, who had his eyes on their enemy-

"X! Are you all right over there!"

"I'm all right, Zero! Thank you!" the Maverick Hunter replied, his voice radiant with immeasurable devotion…..and bravery. His eyes stayed on their new enemy……the thirsty……vicious vampire…….

Sigma had gotten to him.

The eyes of Vanishing Gungaroo fell right on the bold, valiant eyes of Mega Man X-

"My dear friend, it seems like you're ready to play with me. Let's all dance, shall we?"

Sorry for the confusion I have caused! If any of you have read this chapter earlier, please read the previous chapter-Infinity-and then re-read this one if you must!


	42. Episode 3: Rue's Wrath

_**PRIVATE: I knew a lot of people were going to end up misinterpreting the 'Infinity' chapter. I was waiting for someone to bring this issue up. That was why I posted that note on the end of the chapter about this fic being about FRIENDS, not fluffy pink kitty cats and purple daisies. Yes, I am a little pissed off, but what can you do? There are millions of people in the world, and they each have their own eyes. We all don't share the same vision on things. Can't be too irritated about listening to the opinions of others. I hope you, Prjct.War, Star Ninja and my other faithful fans understand what I'm trying to do, though.**_

_**Prjct.War: I too received a review from the evil Darth Maul: Natt Shepard. I'm having it removed from my review section, since it doesn't really belong in there. It's like having a black blob of ink right on top of a beautiful painting. I'm also having him reported. If you want to, you should do the same. I hope nobody else sees that stupid review, but if they do, I hope they ignore it. I would like to stop accepting anonymous reviews because of people like Darth Maul and Miss Voldemort, but if I did, then I would block off my pal PRIVATE-which is something I don't want to do.**_

Sorry, but my tolerance level is dropping-slowly, but surely. (fans off fire but fails miserably) Can't I just accept reviews from the ones that have been supporting me from the very beginning?

A part of me is saying that I shouldn't have made the 'Infinity' chapter, but I liked it. A lot. It's really sad that a lot of people are misinterpreting it. If I wanted this to be a shounen fic, I would have made it that way FROM THE START. I know friendships like this don't exist, but does that mean they have to come off as 'gay' friendships? (pounds head in anger) Sheesh! Somebody cool me off here! At the beginning I was open to EVERYONE'S opinions-but that was before Mr.Shepard and his wife Lyza decided to invade our happy village, and that was before people started accusing me of writing fics about-AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!

NO OFFENSE TO THE SHOUNEN LOVERS OUT THERE-I'M NOT PUTTING ANYONE DOWN! IT'S JUST THAT I AM NOT TRYING TO WRITE SHOUNEN MYSELF! why can't we all just get along? (groans) nobody cares...

Dante: (sharpens blades) I can help.

Rue: (snatches blade) Give me that. I'd like to use it.

Dante: It's perfect for executions! (grins)

Rue: I'm not executing ANYONE but myself, thank you. (uses it)

Dante: Oh well. Who's in charge of the fic now?

Jak: I don't know. Don't look at me. (shrugs and walks off)

Fayt of Star Ocean: I'll be in charge of the battle strategies.

Cliff Fittir: Sheesh. People can really piss each other off sometimes, you know?

Evil Monster from the Underworld: (screams like dinosaur from Jurassic Park) KILL, KILL! ROOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR-

Rue: OOO. Looks like fun. (walks into Jurassic Park)

Albedo of Xenosaga2: And she used to be so happy too...

Dante: So is the fic over?

X: No. Rue's just taking a break.

Dante: (looks into Jurassic Park, listens to screaming dinosaurs) YEAH, A REALLY BIG BREAK...

I was going to post another chapter today, but because of the bombs that have fallen on my parade, I'm going to take the weekend off. I don't need people raining in on anything anymore. I feel like an artist that's being rejected by every museum on the planet or something. I'm proud of my fic but obviously I'm having trouble getting my message across...


	43. Beginning of Future

Steiner of Final Fantasy 9: Hear ye, hear ye. The honorable Rue of the Dewprism would like to make her grand entrance!

(The world applauds. Rue steps in, looking like she's been through Hell.)

Rue: (holds up one finger…..and says) Word up.

Axl: All right-we're back on! Yee-ha!

X: How was your break?

Rue: ……

Kuja of Final Fantasy 9: We missed you so.

Zidane of Final Fantasy 9: Hey. He kinda looks like Albedo of Xenosaga.

Kuja: He's my friend.

X: So how is everything?

Rue: Better, I guess.

Dante of Devil May Cry: YEAH! SHE'S GOING TO WORK HER MAGIC AGAIN!

Zero: Don't know what everyone's so excited about. It's been ages since she wrote the last chapter, so I really don't know what's going on-

Rovin: (cautiously enters the room, but is instantly greeted by)

Inu-Yasha: HEY THERE! SAY HELLO TO MY BEST FRIEND! (unsheathes awesome sword)

Rovin: Oh crap.

It's me again. I'm back from my break, and to tell you the truth, I feel a lot better, thanks to all of my good friends. I read everyone's reviews and emails, and I just want to say, thank you…..even though I can't really ever thank all of you enough for what you have done. The support all of you gave to me really meant a lot-I'm glad all of you are so passionate about my work! And to everyone that commented on the whole gay issue-THANK YOU! I'm behind all of you one-hundred and sixty percent. I mean, come on-what's wrong with being friends? There isn't anything wrong with being nice to people.

Why must the world be so screwed up? Oh well.

I had the review I received from the mysterious 'Natt Shepard' removed from my reviews. I didn't think it needed to be there. I also had him reported, so hopefully, my request to have him eradicated worked. One of you mentioned that this Shepard has a different identity-he still needs to be eradicated, one way or another. I'm going to stick by what I believe in until the very end, no matter what. Especially since I have so wonderful friends to look to!

But Khilai? You shouldn't have asked him to email you-I feel bad for you becoming involved my fight. Of course I stood up for you-what soldier DOESN'T stand up for her ruler? Just kidding. You're my friend. But…..ewww. Don't waste time on that no-good piece of nothing. Thank you so much though…..all of you….for being here for me!

Rovin: Umm…hey.

Me: Hey. I just read the latest chapter of Khilai's story. If you do anything to Axl, SOMETHING FUN WILL HAPPEN.

Rovin: (looks at army of Gundams)

Duo of Gundam Wing: Hey there. I have a surprise for you.

Dingo of Zone of Enders2: So do I. Jehuty's just DYING to meet you.

Jr.of Xenosaga 2: I've got a surprise for you too. Heh heh. (unsheathes guns) Aren't they pretty?

Rovin: (sighs miserably)

The skies, which had been filled with the gray mists of death just a few minutes ago, were endless oceans of horrifying, astounding darkness. The flames that had been created by Gungaroo's entrance began to sing to the darkened skies winds began to rise from the depths of slumber….it was as if Gungaroo was creating some sort of ritual. A few minutes passed by swiftly, and bolts of silver lightning began to fall from the black clouds of smog, which were resting in the black skies. The flames that surrounded the Reploids were incredibly hot, but at the same time, they were viciously cold-they were flames that had descended from the underworld. Mega Man X and Zero, the two Maverick Hunters, were trying to uncover the meaning of the storm that had erupted, but the eyes of their young friend were right on the enemy.

Gungaroo's eyes were entities of bitter, unending hatred….they were fiery red stones of cold blood and wrath. He was tiny, yes-but that didn't stop him from looking like the personification of evil. The Ride Armor he was in also looked like the epitome of evil-the young Reploid felt like he was in the middle of a child's nightmare, surrounded by elements of a haunted house…..

The Crimson Flame was at his side, holding his phenomenal Z-Saber in his hands…and bearing the look of an angry lion in his perilous, ethereal eyes. X was only a few feet away from the two of them, but he too was ready to fight….

Axl couldn't believe what was going on.

"This is insane!"

X looked at his young friend, his own eyes blazing with hot determination. "What is!"

Shock was all over the young one's face…..and it was causing his heart to skip several beats…..

"I don't believe this! Gungaroo's a monster! He's gone mad! He wasn't anything like this before Red Alert fell into Sigma's hands!"

Zero wanted to respond, but Gungaroo beat him to the punch.

"Awwwwwwww-is the little kitty AFRAID of me!"

In an instant, infinite hatred rushed into Axl's eyes……causing them to become beautiful, captivating jewels of incalculable valiance. He answered his enemy defiantly, his voice ringing out against the tide of evil triumphantly……

"I fear NO ONE, pal! We've come this far, and we can go even FURTHER!"

The tone of Axl's voice made the Crimson Flame smile. The warm smiles that had been so rare before were now common. Zero had never really smiled before Axl had arrived-he did deliver sarcastic ones to his opponents, but his smiles were never gentle….and filled with the emotions of a loving parent. He looked at the young Reploid the way a mother would gaze at her child during a graduation….feeling his heart fall under everlasting pride. X tossed a wink over to his dearest friend, wearing a small yet bright smile on his face. Axl's words burned themselves into his mind…….

_You're right. We can go further. Much further._

Axl continued to speak to their enemy, his voice bearing a resemblance to the blade of steel-strong, firm, deadly and awesome. His eyes weren't any different-they too were gemstones of incredible power…..

"I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of Sigma. I fear NO ONE-because I know what TRUE power is all about!"

Zero tossed a wink to X. X returned it.

The power of the lightning increased greatly-the sky was transformed into an ocean of silver fire because of the immense beams of light………the mighty, forceful winds carried the ballad of the flames to the sky…..the ground beneath them began to tremble……..

The world knew of the oncoming battle.

The eyes of Vanishing Gungaroo continued to shine with the eternal fire…..it was as if his eyes had been dipped into the flames that were consuming him…..his whole heart had been dipped into the flames of darkness…….

"If fear does not exist in your eyes, then you must not fear DEATH!"

The answer Axl gave him was a completely unexpected answer.

"Nope. Not really. It's like I said-I don't fear anything….because I've got these two, right here."

The silver and red flames rose to the black void, carrying the message of their enemy's heart right to the black clouds of thunder. The winds increased their power…….they transformed themselves into massive waves of tremendous, turbulent strength…….the world around them became a place of distorted reality…..

Nothing was real anymore.

The word 'reality' no longer existed.

Gungaroo studied the faces of his opponents, waiting for some type of response…..but the emotions on their faces brought him no satisfaction. All three of their hearts were lost within the same light-the light of devotion. All of them were calm and collected….like leaves dancing in a serene breeze…..nothing could touch them….nothing could taint them….

Nothing could frighten them.

The word 'fear' no longer existed.

The three Reploids were standing by each other, each bearing the light of true loyalty and admiration. To the untrained eye, they were casual, nonchalant individuals…..but the serenity within their eyes held great meaning. None of them feared anything……..none of them were willing to be taken down by any force……..nothing could stop them.

Nothing.

It was as if they were…invincible.

All of them had on the same facial expression.

Axl……X…..Zero……they were all on the same page…..the same boat…..

This can't be. Sigma promised me power-glorious, WONDROUS, INFINITE POWER! THEY CANNOT BE STRONGER THAN I AM! THIS CANNOT BE!

"I'll show you what true power is! I'll emerge from this battle as the victor-and then the world will see how powerful I am!"

As if on cue, an enormous bolt of jubilant energy struck the ground, blinding all four of the combatants…..the frosty, bloodchilling winds of Gungaroo's world became stronger……the black clouds filled themselves with astounding, perilous amounts of thunder…….and the ground beneath them began to quiver at a dangerous speed……

The world knew of the battle they were locked in.

The Red Alert member's attention was Axl. He made the young one his first target by leaping out at him, the way a black panther would leap on its prey……but the attack was interrupted by the Crimson Flame. Holding his Saber in his left hand, Zero lashed out at their enemy, streaming through the darkness of the night like a mysterious harbinger of Death. With the speed and grace of a true samurai, the Maverick Hunter delivered several blows to Gungaroo, his face still as calm as painting. The Hunter truly was the silent Angel of Death-his face bore no emotion, but it was easy to tell that he was determined to eliminate all forces of evil. The cries of his enemy brought out no pity-

All servants of evil deserved no mercy.

A minute elapsed, soaring by them like a second. The Maverick Hunter was still slashing away at Gungaroo, using his Saber the way a dancer would use a ribbon-the Crimson Flame was beyond breathtaking. The speed and style of the Flame defied all boundaries of description passionately-there was no proper way to describe the performance he was giving. The assault against Gungaroo continued for several more minutes, and then a tremendous wave of energy beams began to fall from the sky. The Crimson Flame brought his attacking to a halt and gazed into the sky, his eyes falling upon none other than the Black Tiger, who was evidently having a lot of fun tormenting their newest enemy. There was a huge grin on the young one's face, and his eyes were as bright as a child's during Halloween-

There really wasn't a proper way to describe Axl either.

Words no longer meant anything.

The young Reploid showered his new "friend" with an amazing amount of crystal blue energy beams, while wearing a bright smile of great jubilance. He wanted to attack Gungaroo incessantly, but he could only stay airborne for a few minutes, so he was forced to land. However, he decided to go out with a bang-he performed a back flip, fired one last beam of energy at Gungaroo, and then landed with the grace of a mischievous, crafty feline. Zero tossed a good-natured wink at the young one, and received a smile in return.

X was up to bat. The legendary Maverick Hunter fired his X-Buster at Gungaroo's Ride Armor, wanting to break his enemy's shell. Gungaroo made an attempt to dodge the Hunter's fiery onslaught, but his attempts came down to nothing-X emerged as the victor in the duel. After several powerful shots from his faithful Buster, the Ride Armor of his enemy fell off in flaming pieces-Gungaroo was forced to reveal his true self. However, his appearance shocked all three of them-the tiny Reploid was actually a lot smaller than they assumed he was.

Assuming didn't really work most of the time.

Their enemy was small, but he still had the look of a vicious vampire about his entire body. Frustration was bountiful in his vermillion red eyes-he looked like a child that was sick and tired of being tormented all of the time…..and he also looked like someone that was ready for world domination. The look of Gungaroo's face caused X's face to become a picture of apprehension, but Axl and Zero kept their cool. The Black Tiger knew that Gungaroo was just filled with hot air, and of course Zero was never affected by dramatic physical appearances.

Their enemy was on his last two legs, unstable and shivering from pain….

"I…..don't…..believe this…..how….can….this….be?"

X and Zero looked back at Axl.

Axl said nothing.

But he didn't need to. The look on his face gave his friends everything they needed.

"How…….I….wanted…..to….be….the…..best….."

Silence.

Axl looked around at his environment, bearing a resemblance to a bored student sitting in the middle of a classroom.

X turned his attention back to Gungaroo….who was lost among an eternal sea of fire. The Maverick Hunter's eyes became sad for a moment-pity struck the Reploid's heart, and filled his eyes……feeling like the poison of a snake's soul. Tears didn't rise to his eyes, but the emotions that filled him were painful……seeing an enemy fall to eternal slumber was painful…..

The forces of evil knew nothing of light.

They dwelled in darkness.

And Gungaroo was starting his new journey…..his new life….

In the abyss of infinite, cold slumber.

The skies above them began to clear, bringing a warm song of iridescent light to all three of them. The thunder became silent……the lightning bolts became silent….only the winds remained…..but they became calm and gentle, refreshing and pleasant. The bolts of silver lightning transformed themselves into bolts of light pink energy…..the sky became an ocean of black and silver light……and the ground ceased its trembling. Everything was calm now, but….the world was still trembling…..for it knew of the battle that was about to take place. Every element of the world knew of the battle that was about to rise…….and so did every heart.

The three Reploids stood side by side with each other, each of them with their own thoughts….and their own emotions. X had his hands on his heart, and his eyes were closed……Zero's eyes were in the sky, serene yet fierce…..and Axl's face was the perfect picture of bravery……but at the same time, it was also the perfect portrait of child-like innocence. None of them said a word for what seemed like an eternity…..time still had no meaning to any of them…..

X broke the silence ten minutes. He removed his hands from his heart, looked at his two friends….sighed…..and smiled. His gentle eyes were shimmering with tears, surpassing the light of the incandescent lightning bolts, which were falling from the sky like drops of dew. He sounded like he was just taking a trip to the nearest park, but to his friends, he was a little anxious, excited…..fearful……..and…..

Happy.

"Well then. I guess….."

"Don't say it."

X's eyes widened a little, and they went straight to the sharp eyes of the Black Tiger. Axl looked like a child that was being accused of a non-existent crime.

"What?"

"Don't say what you're going to say. Please. It's not true."

"What were you going to say, X?" Zero asked his dearest friend, folding his arms. He closed his eyes, but X wasn't calm about the current situation. The Hunter's eyes darted to both of them, filled with gentle waves of confusion.

"Uhhh……I was just going to say that…..Red Alert's no longer…."

Axl's face fell when his friend's words violently pushed his heart into sadness. The sadness was strong, but not extremely strong. He knew X's words were true….but since he had spent so much time with the Red Alert Syndicate, a part of him refused to believe that everything was gone. His eyes filled with sadness, regret and reluctance….

He was ready to move on to the future, but that little part of his heart was getting in the way.

"Axl, I'm…..I apologize. I-"

"No need for an apology. It's all me. What you said is true, X. A small part of me just refuses to believe it."

"This isn't anything unnatural." Zero said firmly. "You're moving on to the future, but you can't truly leave your past behind. The past molded you into who you are now. You can't ever truly forget anything you've been through. Your emotions are not abnormal, Axl. Sadness still strikes me whenever I think of what happened with Iris. You miss the time you spent as a Red Alert member. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I know this is going to sound silly…..but…..I still think…..it's….alive."

"What's still alive, Axl?" X asked his friend gently, sounding just like an affectionate mother speaking to her child. A smile lit up the young Reploid's face-he was just like a kid that had discovered a four-leaf clover for the very first time.

"The spirit of Red Alert's still alive…..because…..it's within me. I'm the only one that was able to escape from Sigma's clutches….and I still believe in….everything Red taught us. I still believe in everything Red taught ME…..so Red Alert isn't completely gone. I'm still here. I'll always think of myself as a Maverick Hunter….and a member of the Red Alert Syndicate."

That was just way too cute.

"I'm proud of you, my friend." X said to the young Reploid happily, embracing him. Zero, however, wasn't in the mood for sweet, precious moments.

"I don't understand how the two of you can be so sappy when we're surrounded by nothing but fire. This isn't really an ideal place of Kodak moments, you know."

"Yeah it is. Just pay attention to the sky."

"Shut up, Axl. So now what, X? Should we return to base for a while, or should we just head straight to Sigma's?"

"Hmm. We just left the base a few hours ago….all three of us are in perfectly good conditions…..so I see no need for maintenance checks…..but you two were up all night. Were you able to sleep well?"

A second later, a bolt of mischief crashed right into his eyes.

"Oops. I shouldn't have asked that question. Of course the two of you slept well. What baby cub doesn't sleep well in the warmth of its mother's embrace?"

Zero wanted to slice X's head right off of his chest.

"Don't look at me like that. I didn't tell you to treat Axl like a stuffed animal."

"X, you'd better cut it out."

"Why? He knows I'm speaking the truth. He can't hurt me. If he does, I'll have him court-marshaled."

"Don't speak to me for the rest of the day. If you do, you'll regret the day Dr.Light brought you into this world."

"Oh be quiet. You won't really do anything to me. I know you."

A loud and heavy sigh left Axl's mouth. The young Reploid folded his arms-he was playfully pretending to be impatient. "All right, already! Save it for later, you two! What's the plan here?"

"After I remove X's head from his shoulders, we'll head straight to Sigma's. How's that?"

"You won't get me if I get you FIRST, my good friend. Remember, I can use ARMOR."

"Do the words 'I hate you' mean anything?"

Axl released another heavy, comical sigh…..but then a smile spread across his face. He looked at his two friends fondly, thinking of every memory he had created with them….thinking of all of the tears he had shared….the embraces….the conversations…the conflicts…….

Both of them meant so much to him.

"Have you two always been like this?"

"Nope." X answered cheerfully, grinning. "We didn't argue with each other until you walked in on us. You may want to change your dormitory plans, young one. You're going to grow up and Mommy won't be able to hug you anymore."

The way X mocked Zero caused Axl to go into a small fit of laughter. Zero tried to restrict his own laughter, but failed. The Crimson Flame looked at his dear friend after a few moments, smiling dangerously through sheets of tears-

"If you don't shut up, Mommy's going to kill you. Okay?"

The Black Tiger turned away from both of them and gazed into the heavens. The smile on his face became even warmer…..and his eyes became reflections of the stars in the sky. Recent events surfaced in his mind……but to him…..they were all parts of a dream he had been in. Zero's virus….the uneasy silence he was forced to endure because of X's anger…..Red's hatred……it was as if none of it had happened….and he had been with both Maverick Hunters the whole time. He felt as if his life had started with the two Maverick Hunters…..

He was ready…..

To move on…..to the future.

To the future.

_I made it. I'm ready……_

_For what ever the future will bring._

"You guys?"

"Yeah?" X and Zero answered him simultaneously, both of them bearing the very same facial expression. Axl smiled at the two of them, his face shining with excitement-

"I'm ready."

"And so I am." X said to him, unable to accurately describe the emotions that were held in his voice. His heart was at peace, but it was extremely difficult to measure that happiness it was lost in. The depth of his happiness was too great to be believed. "I'm ready too, Axl. To tell you the truth, I've BEEN ready."

"I'm ready to jet too. I think Sigma will be happy to know that I'm alive."

"Yeah." the young Reploid said to the Crimson Flame, still smiling….

"I'd hate to in that guy's shoes."

The three of them stared out into the vast, immeasurable oceans of dreamlike starlight….thinking…..thinking of everything they had experienced with each other…..everything they had felt….everything they had said to each other….

This thought was on all three of their minds.

_I'm ready._-

Uzu-Chan, thank you for your constructive criticism on the 'Infinity' chapter! Thanks for pointing out the mistakes I made-I didn't really notice anything, so having someone point stuff out is really cool. But what you said about Alia needs no correcting-she WOULD have keeled over and died if she had seen Axl, since he's just the cutest little thing alive. As for Zero, he was speechless several times through out the chapter-but the last time I mentioned it was when he was COMPLETELY unable to think of anything to say or think. I just wanted him to appear as completely stunned. Guess I didn't go a good job! Ha ha on me!

As for the Red bashing…the recent outbreaks of bad reviews and Rovin's appearances in Khilai's story have kinda brought the Red assaults to a halt. Red's safe, for the moment.

Red: (wipes off forehead) Whew.

Musashi of Musashi Samurai Legend 2: Don't think you're off the hook yet. (brandishes huge sword)

Lu Bu of the Dynasty Warriors Saga: Yeah. The story isn't over yet!

As for your question about my remaining chapters: I can safely say that there will be at least three more chapters. Then 'Strings of Fate' will be over.

I can just tell that Red's getting ready to spring up again in 'Complexity of a Soul'. And Rovin needs to die. Seriously. Zero should kick his ass. I swear, if Axl dies-

Tal from Suikoden 4: He's not going to. I don't think he will.

Rovin: How do you know that? (snickers)

Leon of Resident Evil: Easy. I'll kill you right now. That'll save us all A LOT OF TROUBLE. (unleashes a pair of huge red guns)

Once again, thank you…for all of your support. It really does mean a lot.


	44. Sunrise

General Signas and his dearest friend, Dr.Cain, were resting inside of his main office, casually holding a conversation about their emotions…and about their thoughts. As always, the professor was a calm, placid painting of playful days-Cain rarely ever became upset over anything, and that was a good thing for Signas to know. Having an optimistic friend had its downs, but there were also a lot of 'pros' that went with the 'cons'. There was a smile on the wise professor's face, and it held the beauty of never-ending Summer days…..warm….gentle….and peaceful. The general's office was filled with the sounds of computers….and filled with enormous amounts of documents….but it was as peaceful as Cain's smile. There was a beauty that had never been seen before in Signas' office….and it was a deep, rich beauty. Both of them were enjoying the beauty of the atmosphere with the greatest amount of happiness and relief…even though they were both acting like old friends sitting in a park.

"So, what's on your mind?"

Signas looked at the professor innocently, playfully denying the accusation. The general did have a few things on his mind, but he was willing to enjoy the beauty of serenity in silence. "I'm not thinking of anything, Cain."

"Huh. You should know me by now, General. I know you very well, and so I know you have a lot on your mind. Spill it."

"Well….if you would really like to know……I was just thinking of our three friends. You know….X…Zero….and our newest Hunter."

"You're making him a Hunter, eh?"

"Why WOULDN'T I? Would I hand you a glass of water if you were stranded in the middle of a desert? What kind of question was that?"

"Heh heh heh. I think he'll make a top-notch Hunter. I'm proud of the kid. He did a lot for X…..for Zero…for ALL of us. His creator must be VERY proud of him. He saved all of our lives. Because of Axl, we all have a future."

"One pebble caused the direction of the wave to change."

"Yep. Pretty deep, eh? Th' kid's amazing. He's one hell of a Reploid, if you ask me. Here's something else-I'm actually glad all of that happened."

The eyes of the Maverick Hunter general widened in surprise. A small, soft gasp left Signas' mouth, and his eyes began to shine like small candleflames in the sky.

"Cain, what are you saying? Are you telling me that everything that occurred, everything about the virus inside of Zero-"

"Yep. I'm glad all of it happened. Because of that nightmare, the bond between X and Zero increased greatly, and of course they picked up a new family member. We went through Hell, yeah, but we all came out with something special. Life isn't about picking daisies and eating strawberries, you know."

Signas gave himself time to digest his dearest friend's words, and then a small sigh left his heart. A warm, appreciative smile bloomed on his face….and his eyes became as warm as pearls resting in golden shores.

Everything his friend had said to him made sense.

The nightmare that had passed would be forever remembered as the worst nightmare of all time.

All of them had gone through excruciating pain. All of them had suffered.

But now…..all of them were happy.

**Happy.**

They had made it through the storm.

And it was all because of a single pebble.

"Alia, what's up? You've been working on these files for the last three hours. Is everything all right?"

"Yeah. No problem here. I thought I should finish up the reports I've been ignoring right now, since I don't have anything else to do."

"You don't? But what about-"

The ravishing Navigator for the Maverick Hunters looked back at her dear friend Douglas, who was standing in the doorway of her dormitory. Her eyes smiled at him, filled with a breathtaking amount of serenity…and happiness.

"They're fine. They don't need me right now. They're all good to go."

"They're heading off for Sigma's, aren't they?"

The Navigator's eyes became solid, heavenly jewels of purity…..and her heart fell into an ocean of endless sunlight. She waited for fear to rise within her, but not a slice of anxiety appeared.

There wasn't anything to worry about.

There wasn't anything to be afraid of.

Her friends were ready.

**She** was ready…..

To embrace the future.

"Yep. There isn't anything else to take care of. The members of Red Alert have been taken care of….with, of course, the exception of young Axl."

"Alia….you're as excited as I am, aren't you?"

Alia's eyes went right to a portrait of Mega Man X and Zero…..beaming with halcyon joy and relief. The two Hunters were standing next to each other, bearing the facial expressions of true soldiers….true, steadfast friends……locked within the chains of eternal friendship…..

A tiny chuckle left her lips. They were going to have to take a new picture now.

"Of course I am. Who isn't? We're getting pretty close to Sigma's demise, AND we're starting a new journey today. I'm excited, all right."

"But….is Sigma really going to vanish after all of this? Is he really going to be gone…in a few hours?"

"No. He'll return after our three friends take him out….but his next appearance….will be his last. Don't ask me how I know. I just know."

Silence returned to Alia's peaceful dormitory, soaring through her heart like a golden wind of a Spring morning. Crystallized starlight fell into her world in small rivers of rhapsody….causing her to fall into a dream…..a dream she had never known before. After a few minutes of silence, her eyes glued themselves to a picture of Mega Man X…..a picture he had taken by himself….

A picture he had taken during his first day as a Hunter.

_Wow. That was eons ago._

A warm, child-like smile blossomed on her face.

"I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I feel…..soon."

There were many mysterious secrets scattered about the Earth….and many secrets were hidden within its chambers. Golden sunlight was also streaming through the undiscovered corners of the Earth…..and it was delivering a gentle, beauteous melody of profuse happiness to the hearts that dwelled within the secretive chambers. There were many places that held unknown memories…..but there was one special place…..a place…

That held the magic of distant memories.

Several Reploids dwelled inside of that place. All of them carried out their duties swiftly and silently….and they were completely aware of everything that was taking place. Every living being inside of the Maverick Hunter base had been given a new chance at life, and a new family had been formed between Mega Man X, Zero, and Axl. All three of them were mighty legends now…..and all of them were known by the Reploids that dwelled inside of their own secret base. They were all part of an underground network-their network was similar to the one Red Alert had formed…..all of them eliminated all possibilities of chaos and death, using determination and bravery as weapons. The Maverick Hunters needed held-they couldn't possibly watch over an entire planet by themselves. The chief of this underground organization knew that, and so that was why he decided to create his own force of 'justice defenders'.

The chieftain was resting inside of his own room, gazing out at the stars resting in the heavens. He had a companion at his side……and both of them were completely silent, but at the same time, they were lost in their own hectic world of thoughts. The face of the Chieftain was calm-the face of his companion was no different from the face of a hungry, excited wolf. The chief of the underground network noticed his companion's uneasiness and patted him on the head gently.

"Calm yourself, Treble. We'll find them….soon."

Hee hee. I'm pretty excited now. 'Strings of Fate' is almost at its end, but 'Until the End of Eternity' is on its way! Pieces of X's past will become a part of his future in the X8 adaptation-I am pretty psyched. I hope all of you will like 'Until the End of Eternity' too! Uzu-chan, you said you like to see an X6 fic-maybe I'll make one when I'm done with X8! I hope everyone will still be around by then….boohoo!

KOS-MOS of Xenosaga 1: If anyone is confused by the statements concering the history of Keiji Inafune's classic Mega Man series, please read the original history of Mega Man and make the facts clear to yourselves. Please do not confuse the original history with the statements made in 'Strings of Fate'. All questions will be answered soon. Alia will also make herself in the upcoming X8 adaptation. Thank you for your cooperation.

I wish I could add more, but it's time for me to jet-I've got to catch my ride home in a few minutes! Yep, I'm typing this in my school's library-class was cancelled today! I have to go, but thank you, everyone! I'll add more soon!

Sincerely,

Rue07 of the Dewprism


	45. Surprise

Almost at the finish line. Everything's going by rather fast, don't you think? I don't know what happened to my friend Khilai-a part of me is assuming that she went on Spring Break, but her note was so serious…it's like something awful happened. And she's taking an entire month off? Spring break is only a week….and I don't see why break time would be a problem. Breaks are supposed to be fun, aren't they? I don't know. I just hope she's okay.

I hope this chapter doesn't come out terrible. I know its short, and I apologize.

Ick. I am not in a good mood.

* * *

4:25 am.

The appearance of Sigma's homebase still bore a resemblance to a haunted house-nothing had really changed at all. Soulless black clouds were still hovering over its towers, and the deadly, frosty winds were still brushing the Earth with their claws. Bright purple streaks of lightning were incessantly falling from the black rainclouds, which were resting in the sky with demonic satisfaction. The dark, cold world of the Maverick was drenched in nothing but darkness-not even the windows could be seen. Every nook-and-cranny was soaked with the black song of eternal evil….the scent of evil was heavy in the air……

Zero, Mega Man X and Axl approached the homebase of their enemy and examined their surroundings silently. None of them were pleased with the unbearably low temperature, and being surrounded by sheer darkness wasn't too delightful-the lack of light caused X to become uneasy.

Whenever an enemy created a dark environment, it usually meant that they wanted their prey to fall right into a trap.

However, Zero and Axl weren't affected by the darkness in the way X was. With a powerful amount of determination within their eyes, both of them exchanged glances with each other and nodded. The two Reploids knew it was time to pay a visit to their friend, and both of them were mentally and physically ready for battle. After several minutes of silence drifted by them like lightning, Zero looked at his dearest friend X, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. The blue Maverick Hunter instantly realized that the cold darkness wasn't so horrid after all, for it caused the Crimson Flame to appear as a mysterious phantom.

"X, it's time to go. Are you ready?"

X's eyes went right over to Axl, who was completely silent. The young Reploid's face was like a stone-hard, strong and powerful. He was filled with youthful energy just a few moments ago, but now he was silent…..bearing the true facial expression of a vigilant tiger. His hands were on his two guns, and the flames within his eyes surpassed the power of the lightning-he was evidently ready to attack at a second's notice.

There wasn't anything to fear.

The only one that needed to feel fear was Sigma.

The young Reploid was not someone to toy with.

X's eyes met the calm, courageous eyes of Zero with warmth and excitement. A small smile bloomed on the Maverick Hunter's face, and his eyes became radiant with the joy of a small child. An unusual amount of excitement filled his body….a unfamiliar, yet refreshing amount of excitement……

"Yes. I'm ready. Let's go."

* * *

The three of them dashed into the base of their enemy at an incredible yet perilous speed, resembling three valiant soldiers rushing off to the greatest battlefield. They stayed with each other, and protected each other-none of them wanted to be separated by an unknown force. Each of them bore their own emotions…..their own thoughts…..

Their own dreams.

The base of their enemy was dark and than the underworld….but the light within the pure hearts of the team shattered the power of the darkness that was eating away at the earth. The flames within their eyes were strikingly strong….and the determination within their souls defied comprehension. X looked like an excited young man that was a day away from his college graduation-the high amount of excitement soaring through his body felt strange to him…for he had never felt such invigorating suspense before in his life…..but his heart accepted it with honor. The look within Zero's eyes would have frightened a cheetah-the Crimson Flame was ready to strike down his "old friend" with everything he had….even though he knew that Sigma would return once again.

The look on Axl's face would have frightened three fully-grown dragons.

This was his chance to meet the one responsible for destroying Red Alert face-to-face.

He was pretty excited about meeting him.

* * *

4:50.

All of them came to a halt when they arrived in the largest room of the base. It only took the three of them a second to realize that Sigma was nearby-the sadistic Maverick was practically handing them bad vibrations. Their current location was enormous, but it was also cold-immeasurably cold, and immeasurably dark. The ground beneath their feet was as cold as ice, and the walls were drenched in undying darkness….the entire place was surprisingly hard to describe, since none of them had ever encountered such a disgusting amount of darkness before. None of them made a move-all three of them knew that Sigma was the type of individual that loved to throw out surprises, and they had no desire to be separated from each other. Silence tormented the three of them for what felt like an eternity….all three of them felt like they were trapped within another dimension…

"Let's wait here. He'll show himself."

X looked into Zero's face worriedly. "Are you sure? Shouldn't we make our way further into the base?"

"No. He's here. I can feel him."

The tone of Zero's voice didn't calm X at all. The Crimson Flame was adamant-he was determined to stay in his current location. The Black Tiger said nothing and showed no signs of disapproval, and so he too was willing to wait for Sigma. The flames within his eyes were deadly rays of heat, and his fingers were obviously itching with excitement-his guns were still inside of their sheaths, but he possessed a blazing desire to remove them. His face still bore a resemblance to a stone, and Zero's face wasn't that different. Both of them looked like lions that were waiting for their prey to arrive at just the right time…..there was a tiny smile on the young Axl's face, but there wasn't a scrap of pleasure in it…..

None of them were aware of what was going to occur next.

Axl's bright, shimmering eyes darted in several directions….his hands were glued to his guns, which were still sitting in their sheaths, waiting to be removed for action….the smile on his face wasn't any different from the fire within his eyes…..

"Come out come out wherever you are……we know you're here, pal….."

Several minutes passed by them like seconds, but at the same time, they felt like hours. The cold winds of the base became stronger, and they spoke to the Reploids urgently….telling them of the destruction Sigma wanted to create……the excitement within their hearts increased…and the suspense became even stronger…..

5:15.

A pair of green eyes became visible….but the eyes weren't a natural shade. They were the eyes of a hungry demon…..a hungry, bitter demon that possessed an endlessly dark heart. They were blazing with everlasting hatred and fury…..and they were unlike any gemstones the three had ever seen……

But they didn't belong to Sigma.

X prepared his X-Buster for battle. Zero removed his saber from its sheath, bearing the appearance of a mighty samurai…….and Axl swiftly prepared his guns. The young one aimed them in the appropriate direction……ready for action…….

"Ha! We've got you now, pal! You're about to eat a round of bullets from yours truly!"

The voice that followed those words struck all three of them like a pound of cold steel.

"Well, hello my dear friends. How wonderful it is to see all of you here. I'm glad you were able to make it this far."

The eyes of the young Black Tiger widened with an immense amount of shock, and they became ethereal gemstones of disbelief. His heart jolted violently within his chest, as if it had a mind and soul of its own, and his guns fell from his hands. He took a step back, and one name left his mouth-

_**"Red!"**_


	46. Dedication

The bitter melody of venom struck Axl's mouth mercilessly, and his eyes filled with both hatred and disbelief. The rhythm of his heart became slower, as if it too was surprised to see Red…..and his mouth became as dry as a desert. The air became painfully thick with the flames of insufferable tension…..and the eyes of his two dear friends became gemstones of impenetrable bravery….

The eyes of the demonic Reploid shimmered with a light that caused Axl to become sick to his stomach. The heart of the Red Alert Syndicate leader was soaking itself in a everlasting ocean of implausible obscurity….the smile on his face made that perfectly obvious. His eyes were like the eyes of a cat that was about to pounce on the tiniest mouse-smooth yet devilish and deceitful. The hatred within the young Reploid's eyes increased with every passing second…..Red, the one that had taught him so much, the one that had saved him from certain death…..

Had become a minion of evil.

Axl quickly picked up both of his guns and aimed them at his enemy, remembering the last conversation they shared with each other in the Red Alert homebase. Red threw his malicious smile in the young one's direction, bearing a great resemblance to a witch-

"Hello there, Axl. It's nice to see you too."

Axl was in no mood for games.

"What are you doing here? And where's Sigma?"

"Why, he's here, somewhere. Waiting for his three friends to show themselves. I thought I would come out and greet you."

The fires within Axl's eyes became even greater. He went into a battle stance, ready to fire at the one that had betrayed him….X looked at him worriedly, Zero looked at him with quiet yet fierce excitement……

"We've got no time for this. I'm through with you."

The smile on Red's face vanished in an instant, but his voice remained the same-he still sounded like a deceitful black cat. "I'm not finished with you, you filthy little bastard."

he snapped savagely, his eyes flashing with the mists of sickening brutality. "It's time for me to pay you back for everything you've done, my little friend."

Those words caused Axl's voice to become even more powerful than the cry of an eagle. The eyes of the young Reploid became brighter than the most powerful flames, and the power of his voice almost caused the windows to shatter into a million pieces.

"No, it's time for me to pay YOU back for what you've done, pal! I'm ending this, right here and now! I no longer need you-I'm ready to soar on my own, so it's time for you to say good-night!"

A second later, a brilliant flash of white light split through the eyes of Axl, Zero and X, and a cry from the young Reploid's mouth scorched the ears of the two Hunters. The windows within their current location shattered, and the walls began to tremble….when the light vanished, the two Hunters spotted Axl, who had been buried deep within the wall because of an attack from Red. A sharp gasp tore itself from X's throat, and he cried out to his friend frantically, but Red got to the young one first. Wearing the facial expression of a sadistic, merry cat, the Red Alert leader continued to attack Axl mercilessly, delivering a countless amount of energy balls to his opponent. The Crimson Flame came up behind Red like a ghost, grabbed him by the throat and placed his Saber at his enemy's neck, smiling….

"You're going to pay for that, my friend."

X's attention was on Axl, who was no longer visible. The motherly Maverick Hunter dashed over to his dear friend, who was on the ground, consumed by pain. The gentle, tender eyes of the Hunter were bright with concern and devotion-

"Axl! Are you all right?"

"Ugghh….yeah……" The young one was obviously in a great amount of pain, but was unwilling to let it himself succumb to it. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

A moment later, a cry of pain reached their ears-the cry didn't from Zero. The Crimson Flame was battling against Red with the same speed and elegance he had used against their previous enemy-the Red Alert leader was putting everything he had into the duel, but was definitely outclassed by the Crimson Flame. He had escaped the situation Zero had put him in, but he had no chance of defeating the Hunter. Streams of dark red blood were flowing from the body of the Red Alert leader like waterfalls, and there was an indescribable look within his savage eyes-

"You……all of you will FALL beneath the blade of Sigma! All of you shall perish!"

The ground beneath the three of them rose into the sky, and the windows continued to shatter all throughout the base. Waves of bright light continued to consume their vision….but Zero could see his enemy perfectly. Red was standing in the very center of the room, laughing….

Laughing the way Sigma always laughed.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA! ALL OF YOU WILL DIE! THERE IS NO HOPE-GIVE YOUR BODIES AND SOULS TO THE GREAT DEITY!"

Axl looked away from X and frowned. The young one sounded like someone watching a disgusting movie when he released his opinion about Red's behavior.

"Sheesh. Sigma really did screw him up. I mean, 'give your bodies to the great deity'? Come on. A little perverted, don't you think?"

"Yes," the gentle Maverick Hunter laughed, "but now isn't the time for jokes, Axl. Save them for later. We've got a job to do."

Axl rose to his feet and prepared his guns once again, smiling warmly at his dear friend. "Right." he said valiantly, ready to protect his dear friends with everything he had.

It was time to meet the future with open arms.

Wearing one of his trademark smiles, the young one fired out at his enemy with the same amount of agility and elegance Zero possessed.

(A/N: If any of you have played Xenosaga 2, and if you are familiar with Jr.'s fighting style, then you have an accurate picture of Axl's fighting style.)

Red attempted to make another devastating attack on the young Reploid, but X swiftly intervened by leaping out in front of his dear friend and firing his X-Buster. The Maverick Hunter's shot was so powerful that it caused the ground to tremble, and it also caused Red to become buried beneath the rubble of the wall. Zero dove in after the evil Reploid with his Saber, and delivered a strikingly mighty uppercut, sending the Red Alert leader into the air. The attack created a breathtaking ray of light-it was like watching a dolphin break the ocean surface. The phenomenal Maverick Hunter landed with the grace of a feline, wearing a smile of satisfaction-his enemy, however, landed with a painful thud, covered in blood that was dangerously close to being black…..Axl and X looked upon the broken body of the Red Alert leader silently….waiting for him to speak…

"…….Axl…….."

The tone of Red's voice shocked the young one greatly. A small gasp ripped itself from his throat, and his eyes became bright with disbelief. Red had used the tone of his voice he had used so many times with him...during their days as strong Red Alert members….

"…..Red?"

Red slowly sat up and wrapped his arms around his body. The look on his face shocked Axl even more-it was drenched in infinite pain….he looked like a helpless, wounded wolf. Rivers of blood were all over his broken, shattered body……and he could barely even breathe…..

"Axl…….my little Axl……"

Before the young one had a chance to react, the entire room was consumed by flames. An enormous explosion reached his heart and the hearts of his two friends…..the walls became engulfed in flames, millions of glass shards fell to the floor….and the ground continued to tremble…..Red remained in his place, tears falling from his eyes…..

Zero hurriedly scanned the room, and then spoke to his two friends urgently. "Listen to me-Red activated a self-destruction device! If we don't leave this area soon, we'll all die!"

Axl was not yet ready to move. Even though the vicious, unrelenting song of fire was streaming into his ears…..his eyes were on the silent, still body of Red, the one he had cared for so much in the past. X had heard Zero's words perfectly, but was greatly worried about the young Reploid-

"Axl! We've got to leave-NOW! We don't have much time!"

The look within the young one's eyes caused his heart to skip a few beats, and he realized something….he realized that it was time for his dear friend to say good-bye….

To the past.

The eyes of the Crimson Flame fell onto the young Reploid, filled with apprehension….the eyes of the gentle, soft-hearted Mega Man X were filled with warm, deep compassion and sadness….both of them watched their young friend silently….and waited for him to speak……Red broke the silence between them, smiling weakly through millions of tears…..tears that shimmered like starlight….

"Axl……little one……you are ready, aren't you?"

Axl nodded, trying very hard to keep his casual, calm smile on his face. "Yeah…."

"I'm glad to hear that……I can't tell you….how happy I am…..to know that you're happy…..and well. I'm glad these two gave you a future…..and….."

Tears of pristine, ethereal light soared into the young Reploid's eyes…the way eagles soared through the crystal blue sky. "Red……"

"I'm…….sorry…..sorry for everything that happened….."

"It's okay. Really. Everything's fine. No need to worry, old man. You didn't do anything."

Red's eyes, which were only small slits now…..moved over to the faces of the two Maverick Hunters. He spoke to them, his voice a small, distant….yet warm song of pure, eternal love…..

"Please…….please…..take good care of Axl. Promise me…..you'll continue to watch over him…."

X and Zero nodded instantly. The blue Maverick Hunter saluted Red in the fashion of a true, dedicated soldier. "We will." he said firmly, leaving not a scrap of doubt anywhere. "Don't worry-we'll take care of him. Won't we?"

"We sure will. I owe my entire life to him anyway."

"Thank you……both of you……"

The flames continued to rise higher and higher….the ground began to tremble even more…..

"Axl?"

"Yeah, Red?"

The leader of the Red Alert Syndicate said one last word to his most precious friend….

His son.

"Fly."

* * *

Five minutes passed.

The area they had been in with Red went up in flames. Millions of flames soared into the sky……..as they continued to burn every piece of the room they had been in…..as they continued to burn the remnants of Axl's past……..and as they continued to open the path…..

To the future.

The three Reploids silently watched the flames rise to the sky…..each of their hearts drenched in the same emotion-sadness. A few minutes passed between them, and then X lowered his head and closed his eyes…..silently honoring the Reploid that had cared for Axl so deeply so long ago….Zero placed a hand on the young one's shoulder…..

And received a smile in return.

The flames continued to burn through everything that had remained from his past life……

But……

It was time to meet the future……with open arms.

There were tears in the young one's eyes, but his smile was bright and warm…..his eyes shimmered with appreciation as they beamed at Zero…….two words left X's mouth in a soft, serene yet sorrowful whisper…..

"Thank you."

* * *

Dedicated to my friend Khilai.

Thank you…..to everyone out there. I am almost done.

Uzu-chan, your story is awesome. Thanks for continuing it.

The same goes to YOU too, Star Ninja. Big hugs to everyone out there.


	47. Soul

Hello, everyone. We have finally made it to the home stretch. Here, our heroes will finally battle the evil Sigma. I hope everyone's enjoying themselves!

I've been searching for good Suikoden 4 fics, but nobody's really made any….sheesh. I don't care about Suikoden 3-where are the Suikoden 4 masterpieces? Was Suikoden 3 really such a big deal? And to all of you that think Suikoden 4 sucks-I don't know if you're Final Fantasy fanatics or what, but listen up. It may be short, but Suikoden 4 is as charming as a baby blue bird. I actually care about the story, and its characters.

_Oh well. Sorry about the rant. It's just that I've heard so many crappy things about such a wonderful game, and everyone's all into the Final Fantasy gig. Nobuo Uematsu's music is out of this world-that's the only good thing about Final Fantasy, really._

Here I go. Once again, I'd like to thank everyone for being here for me. _**NOTE:**_ Before we begin, I would like to warn everyone that many things were created from my own imagination. X's Falcon Armor gives him an attack that doesn't really exist, and Sigma is not his true self-he actually bears a resemblance to Xenosaga's 'Albedo'. The resemblance was not created intentionally. The final battle is not what it is in the game-you can't even use all three Reploid heroes in the game, all at the same time. If anyone is expecting to read an exact copy of the X7 script, forget it. _**It's a fanfic. Look at the name of this sight and chill out.**_

Wow. The Mega Man category is growing every day.

* * *

Black clouds streamed into the sky at an alarming rate. Cold, deadly winds continued to brush the earth, screaming with an uncontrollable amount of glee….but at the same time, they were howling with everlasting pain. The thunder that had ravaged the planet just a short while ago had become silent, and the skies were no longer being lit with streaks of lightning, but the atmosphere was still a blood chilling, horrifying one. The winds were howling, but silence was abundant at the same time….it was as if silence was trying to challenge the power of the winds. Breathing was almost impossible, but the three Reploids found a way to keep up their strength. They were no longer at Sigma's homebase-they had arrived at the homebase of the Red Alert Syndicate, which was no longer in existence. This fact bothered Axl, and he tried his hardest to keep the sadness within himself, especially since he had made that speech about 'keeping the spirit of Red Alert alive', but restraining his emotions had become difficult. Before he had been perfectly skilled at keeping everything to himself, but now was not the time to hide within cocoons.

So much had happened between him and his friends. And just a few days ago, he was lost within the Red Alert base, trying to figure out how he was going to protect Red from Sigma's charms. A part of him felt as if Red's death was his fault, since he possessed the desire to rescue him from Sigma's clutches, but the guilt was not strong enough to consume his entire soul. The other half of his heart knew that Red had wanted to move into a different direction…..it knew that Red had wanted him to move off on his own. His heart also knew that it was time….time for him to begin a new life……

With memories of the past.

The eyes of Zero, the phenomenal Crimson Flame, were glowing like the eyes of a watchful, patient lion. His golden yellow hair was streaming in the cold winds, shimmering with a light that challenged the darkness defiantly. His armor wasn't any different-it too was shimmering with a beauteous light that shattered through all barriers. The eyes of Mega Man X were filled with their usual qualities-the warmth and compassion of a mother, and the courage of a true soldier. Axl knew his friend was worried about him, and he wanted to tell him that everything was perfectly fine…but he also knew that X wouldn't accept any lies. The Maverick Hunter knew all about his ability to hide his own emotions-that was how they were thrown into a fit of awkward silence a long while ago. The Black Tiger decided to toss aside the lies for once and sighed heavily, gazing into the lifeless, frosty skies above him……a moment later, Zero looked his way, his face glowing in the darkness with worry and tension…

"Are you okay?"

The Black Tiger smiled at him and gave himself a minute to think of a response. At first, he believed that the words 'yeah, I am' would have been a lie, since he was still a little upset about what had happened to Red, but…..every passing second brought him tears of relief. He was all right-he knew that. He had friends with him, friends that cared for him, wanted to be there for him…..

"Yeah. No problem on this end. I'm ready whenever you guys are."

"Like I said before-I've been ready." X said grimly, gazing out at the base in front of them, his gentle eyes shining with hope……and tension. He prepared his X Buster for battle, causing Axl to think of a soldier that was about to rush off to his last battle. "Let's go in and get this over with. ALL of us have been through a lot, thanks to Sigma, so let's go."

Axl was not yet ready. He looked into his dutiful friend's face urgently, thinking of the mistake they had made before. "Are we SURE he's in there?" he asked the blue Maverick Hunter. "I mean, we thought we were feeling his energy, but it turned out to be Red."

"That was because Sigma shared some of his energy with him. Red gave off the same energy levels because Sigma poured some of his power into his soul. That was why he gave off Sigma's stench." Zero explained bitterly, playing with his Saber. His awesome weapon was a blade of fatal lightning within his hands, but he was toying with it the way a bored child would toy with a ball. The Maverick Hunter always had a knack for looking like the Grim Reaper in times of battle. "I bet he can't wait to see me. I've got a lot to thank him for."

"Axl?"

The young Reploid looked at the apprehensive Mega Man X, smiling.

"Yeah, what's on your mind?"

"Are you sure you're ready? Once we go in, there's no turning back."

"Of course I am. What are you, nuts? Let's get in there!"

* * *

Standing strong against the furious waves of darkness, the three soldiers rushed into the base and began to search for their enemy, the one that had given them excruciatingly heavy burdens within such a short amount of time. All of them were ready to deal with the evil Reploid for different reasons, but they were all together because of the same goal, and because of the same dream. They were silent-the only sounds reaching their ears were the sounds of their own rapid footsteps. Even though all of them had different reasons for being angry with Sigma, all of their faces shared the same exact emotions-bravery, devotion and defiance. Axl's eyes were like bright beams of solid gold, Zero's eyes were the dangerous, brutal eyes of a falcon, and X's eyes were the stars of a dedicated, loyal soldier….but all of them were brought together by the same path.

Minutes passed by like seconds, but time had no meaning to any of them. None of them were afraid of what the future was about to bring-all of them had been through Hell. All of them had experienced fear, pain, loss of hope, sadness…….and it was time to face the road ahead of them. A flash of beautiful, ethereal light went off in the Black Tiger's eyes after ten minutes soared by them, and this thought drifted off with that light-

_We're ready.

* * *

_

Twenty minutes passed.

All of them brought their searching to a halt when they arrived in the largest room of the Red Alert Syndicate base. Once again, Zero was the first one to pick up the immense energy levels of Sigma's heart-this time, it had to be him. With the aura of a protective father within his powerful, deadly eyes, he scanned his surroundings carefully, waiting for Sigma to emerge….the other two were right behind him, also waiting for him to emerge……but with different emotions on their faces. Axl looked like a child that was waiting for a clown to make its appearance on stage-X looked like he was waiting for someone he was very pissed off at to come out of hiding. Silence passed through them for several minutes, then it was forced to leave, thanks to Zero.

"Dammit, I really wish he would stop playing around."

"It seems like you know him well." Axl said to his dear friend, surprising him with his chosen tone of voice. "Does he ALWAYS joke around?"

"Yep. ALWAYS."

A second later, Axl realized that X was examining something several feet away from him. "What are you looking at, pal?" the young one asked him, and the Hunter looked back at him, his eyes filled with warm compassion. "I'm looking at what seems to be the roster the Red Alert Syndicate used for their missions." he answered, hoping that he wouldn't stir up any sorrowful emotions in his young friend. "This is evidently the Main Room of the base, where you must have performed your most important duties."

"Correct." For some reason, Axl sounded a little irritated-or was he just reluctant? "This is where Splash Wafly, Wind Crowrang and Red put together our missions, and then the mission objectives were shared with the remaining Red Alert members. Come on already-I told you I'm fine. Don't worry. I said I was ready, and I meant that. Sheesh."

The young one looked a little angry, but X knew that the anger was truly devotion and appreciation. With a smile, the Maverick Hunter looked at him and nodded, regretting his decision to bring up the roster he had found on the wall. Axl's attention was now on Zero, who was ready and willing to bring Sigma down without the slightest bit of hesitation.

"The energy levels I'm picking up are pretty strong, but….once again….I don't hear or see anything. What about you?"

The Crimson Flame looked like a birdwatcher-he was obviously trying to focus on something he had picked up. "Silence yourself and listen, Axl." he said to the young one firmly, his eyes focused on the black ceiling. The Black Tiger obeyed the order willingly, and placed his eyes in the same direction. He could only pick up silence for several minutes, but then…..faint laughter began to steam into his ears. His eyes widened at the sound of the laughter-it bore a great resemblance to the laughter of a clown. X began to notice it as well-

Sigma was in the room all right.

Zero closed his eyes, folded his arms, and spoke, sounding like an impatient mother.

"Come on out Sigma, we know you're here."

"Awww. You ruined my friend, dearest pet. Boohoo."

Axl's face took on a very comical frown. "'Dearest pet'? Is he serious?"

"I'm afraid so." X answered him, without a smile. The Maverick Hunter looked dead serious.

A moment later, Sigma finally fell from the ceiling and landed in the manner of a spider, his face glowing with sickening glee. A smile was on his face, but it was the smile of a demonic werewolf, and his eyes were a bright shade of green. Normally, red eyes were horrifying to look at, but Sigma's eyes took the trophy. The Reploid wasn't any different from a gigantic monster-enormous, blood-thirsty, and savage. His voice, as usual, was the voice of a jolly clown, but the demonic thirst for blood was all over his face.

"Welcome, welcome, all of you. So glad you're here."

He spread his arms wide, wanting an embrace. "Zero! My dear old friend! I'm SOOO glad you're still here! Having fun with your friends, I bet?"

The look on Zero's face would have caused the devil to shiver.

Axl could only stare at him in awe. The Crimson Flame was ready to kill.

"I'm so glad everything's all right now. You must have had such a hard time. So sorry for all of the pain you went through, my precious pet."

X eyed his dearest friend worriedly.

It was like waiting for someone to deactivate a bomb.

"Why, don't you want to give me a hug? After all, I am your sweet friend, am I not?"

Zero didn't say a word.

"Oh well. I'll just have to wait. We'll be together soon, I know we will. You'll become the one you were MEANT to be, and we'll start our new lives together."

Axl didn't want to take his eyes off his friend. The bomb was about two seconds away from exploding.

Sigma turned to X, still wanting an embrace. "X! How good it is to see you! You're probably happy to have Zero with you. You should enjoy your friendship while it lasts-he isn't going to be with you much longer."

Now X looked like he wanted to create massive annihilation.

"How ironic. He was created to kill you, but the two of you are the best of friends!"

X's voice had enough power to cause an earthquake. And his eyes were hotter than the flames of the sun.

"You MONSTER! Zero is no WEAPON! Unlike YOU, he has a both a pure heart AND a pure soul!"

Zero continued to stay silent. His silence was causing Axl to feel uneasy.

The smile on Sigma's face vanished, but his voice didn't change at all. His eyes transformed into stones of cold, blood red power-

"You're too soft, X. Wily created him for destruction, nothing else. Poor soul. I'll shatter all of your sweet ideas soon. You'll thank me for shedding light onto the truth later."

X's eyes became way too dangerous to look at. Looking at them wouldn't have been any different from stepping onto daggers.

Sigma turned on Axl, bearing the physical appearance of a demonic vampire. His eyes smiled at the Black Tiger, but they were filled with a degree of evil that surpassed the boundaries of comprehension….Axl had never seen such a high amount of evil before….and he never thought he would…..

"Little Axl! We finally get to meet, face to face! What a joyous occasion this is! So sorry about Red, by the way. Looks like he wasn't SMART enough to see that I was just playing with him. Poor thing, he lost his way."

Sigma was able to get strike the fuses of X and Zero, but he was unable to get under the Black Tiger's skin. The eyes of the young Reploid bore into his, shining with a deadly amount of defiance-

"Sorry, buddy, but you're not going to get to me, so you should just quit right now. Nice try, though."

"Well well well, aren't YOU the cute one? Pretty adorable! I'm impressed!"

"Great! I bet you'll love to meet my really cute and adorable pals here!"

Axl unsheathed his guns and smiled at Sigma proudly. "Aren't they just swell?" the young one asked him, beaming. The event that occurred next was completely unexpected.

"OF COURSE THEY ARE! NOW, ALLOW ME TO SHOW YOU HOW CUTE AND ADORABLE I AM!"

A tremendous tidal wave of bright yellow light pierced the eyes of three Reploids, and a devilish cry of ecstasy was emitted from Sigma's soul. The Reploid shot into the air and hovered within the bright rays of light he had created, bearing the resemblance of the greatest, darkest vampire. His eyes were a demonic shade of red, his black cape was streaming in the wind behind him, and he emitted the aura of evil……once again, the ground beneath them began to rise into the sky at an alarming rate…..

"BEHOLD, MY WONDROUS POWER! FALL BENEATH ME AND SEE HOW WONDERFUL I CAN BE!"

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"

Brandishing his Z-Saber, the phenomenal Crimson Flame made his first attack against his life-long enemy, soaring through the rays of yellow light the way a valiant horse stood against the tides of cruelty. He leapt into the air and slashed out at his enemy with incredible force, but the Maverick dodged the attack and sent a massive wave of energy out at Mega Man X. The Maverick Hunter challenged the wave of energy by emitting his own from his X-Buster, and the two waves went into a deadlock-X pushed and pushed against Sigma's wave, and Sigma battled against his, laughing the way a sadistic child would laugh while tormenting an animal-

"YES, YES! THIS IS SO SWEET! KEEP IT UP-I'M GETTING EXCITED!"

With every ounce of strength in his soul, the legendary Maverick Hunter pushed and pushed his wave of light out at the evil, laughing Maverick…..and was defeated. Sigma succeeded in pushing his wave of energy out at his opponent, and his wave pushed the Reploid back dynamically. He was almost forced into the wall, but Zero rescued him before he could become buried beneath waves of rubble. Axl, the remaining member of the Red Alert Syndicate, came up behind Sigma with the phenomenal speed and grace of a bird, but his attack was instantly detected-the Black Tiger was forcefully sent right into the ground by the powerful Maverick. The eyes of the Maverick Hunters rushed over to the young Reploid, filled with great anxiety…..Zero called out to his dear friend-

"Axl!"

Ignoring his friend's call, the young one got right back up and attempted to deliver another attack on his enemy. He altered the current mode of his guns, bearing a mischievous smile on his face, and then he fired several rounds into the laughing Reploid. Sigma was able to dodge most of his enemy's attacks, but the last beams of energy made contact with him successfully. Unfortunately for Axl, the light of his own laser balls and the light of Sigma's aura caused him to become blind, and when the light of his own attacks disappeared, Sigma appeared right in front of him-

"Hello."

A sharp gasp literally ripped itself from the young one's throat. A second later, he found himself in the ground, gritting his teeth from pain…his head was on fire…..

"Damn it………"

A cry of vengeance tore itself from X's heart and pierced the air with awesome strength. The dauntless Maverick Hunter wrapped himself up in ethereal, iridescent beams of light...and his cry lingered within the air. The light flowing from his heart spread throughout the room….and it caused the smile on Sigma's face to become even bigger. The incredible, miraculous display lasted for about a minute, then the Maverick Hunter revealed himself. He was no longer wearing his usual suit of armor…..he was now wearing the-

"Falcon Armor." Zero whispered to himself, wearing a warm smile of affection. Sigma was also smiling, but for very different reasons.

"NOW THINGS ARE STARTING TO WARM UP! THANK YOU!"

Like a cat determined to catch a frightened mouse, Sigma leapt out at X, but the Maverick Hunter was ready. With an amazing amount of speed, X leapt out of the line of fire and delivered several attacks with his Buster, but none of them struck the Maverick. After those attacks were sent out, both of them went into hand-to-hand combat…but several more rounds from Axl's guns struck the Maverick a minute later. Sigma viciously whirled around on Axl, who was having a great amount of trouble breathing due to pain, and fired several more beams of energy out at the young one. Realizing that the young Reploid had not yet recovered from Sigma's last attack, Zero swept him out of harm's way in an instant, glanced at him fearfully and went right back to the battle. X shot into the air and sent out a tumultuous wave of energy at his enemy, but that attack was also unsuccessful-the evil Maverick appeared at his side two seconds after the wave had been sent out-

"Why hello there. It's nice up here, isn't it?"

Another gasp tore itself from X's throat with an excruciating amount of force. Sigma sent him right into to the wall with immeasurable strength, laughing………but his laughter was cut short by Zero's Saber. Zero had successfully delivered another uppercut-the Saber had made its way into the side of his life-long enemy's chest. The Crimson Flame winked at his 'friend' merrily, removed his Saber and landed on the ground triumphantly, smiling at his dear friend Axl. X removed himself out of the hole in the wall and looked at his two friends urgently….Zero snickered at the Maverick-

"Well well well, looks like I'm the cutest one here."

A second later, the Crimson Flame was locked within a deadly embrace-Sigma's arms were wrapped around his body in a very tight grip. The sadistic killer licked the cheek of his enemy happily-

"Ah. Such a sweet taste."

Axl's voice came to him two seconds later.

"GET YOUR FILTHY MITTS OFF MY PAL, BASTARD!"

With a stunning amount of power, the young one fired out at his enemy successfully-since Sigma's attention was all on Zero, he was unable to detect the oncoming attacks. The Maverick delivered a savage, deadly punch to the Crimson Flame's stomach, causing him to fall to the ground, and went right out at the young Reploid-

X knew that both of his friends were in grave danger. He closed his eyes, and tried to calm the rapid beating of his heart…..but his heart had a mind of its own. It was frightened…..fearful….it was completely aware of what was going on...distant memories rose from slumber and into the surface of the present……

"My son……protect the ones you love…….stand strong…..never stray away from your destiny……"

I remember you well, Father.

X's eyes snapped right open.

He took an extremely deep breath…..raised both of his arms……

"Power of thunder, rise from beneath my soul……hearken to me now, shatter this evil before me! HAAAAAAAAA!"

X's cry shattered every window in the base. A massive stream of energy was emitted from his hands, which had been balled into fists several seconds before. The energy was directed right at Sigma………but it was reflected……….

Right at Axl.

X's eyes widened, and became beautiful, solid pools of both ethereal devotion and fear. Another gasp tore itself from his mouth, but this one was the most painful one yet. Sigma had the ability to throw his enemy's attacks right back at them, or in a different direction.

X's attack was thrown right at Axl.

"Oh no…………"

The Maverick Hunter was paralyzed.

"No……oh no………"

Zero's eyes were no different. The Crimson Flame rushed right over to the body of his young friend worriedly, his face shimmering with sadness-

"Axl! Axl!"

X's cry split through the air…..bearing a great resemblance to the cry of dying wolf.

"Axl!"

Sigma fired several enormous waves of energy out at the Crimson Flame, who was holding the half-conscious Axl in his arms. Zero successfully shielded the young one, but took the full brunt of Sigma's attack. Sigma turned on the horrified Mega Man X, grinning-

"Good job X-looks like your friend's down for the count."

"No……no……."

X fell to the ground and pounded in it frustration….tears falling from his eyes…..

"No……….this can't be……..THAT ATTACK WAS MEANT FOR YOU, DAMMIT!"

Emotions were rising high within the hearts of the two Maverick Hunters.

X fired out another attack from his X-Buster, and Zero came up behind the evil Maverick with his Saber, releasing a cry of wrath from his soul. Sigma's attention went straight to Zero, since he knew that the Crimson Flame was a lot more powerful than X was. Right then and there, X realized that Zero's attacks were the only ones Sigma couldn't throw off in different directions, since the Crimson Flame didn't use energy blasts as weapons…

Zero went into a duel against his old 'friend', and it was a miraculous, awesome duel. His Saber clashed against Sigma's own blade……his eyes were filled with the silent song of death…..Sigma's eyes were like the eyes of happy, delighted vampire……

"ISN'T THIS FUN? I'M ENJOYING THIS GAME, I REALLY AM!"

Zero sent out an attack that forced the Maverick to draw away from him instantly. Sigma's face was drenched in shock for a moment, but then, his sickening smile returned. The eyes of the Maverick Hunter were glued on him, shining with the deadly light of great power…….

"This is what I call a party! We should do this more often, don't you think?"

What happened next could not have been detected.

The sadistic Maverick sent out an immeasurable amount of bright red energy at Mega Man X…..his eyes glowing with the light of pure evil……..

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M HAVING SO MUCH FUN! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

The attack went on for about a minute, which felt like an eternity……and then the Maverick brought it to a halt. But the results he received surprised him….and they also surprised X.

"Hmmm? What's this?"

X's eyes were solid, eternal pools of emerald green sorrow…..pristine tears were streaming from them like raindrops……and he was shivering from both shock and pain….he watched his young friend Axl slowly fall to the cold, hard floor….

"No……….no…….."

Zero's eyes were also filled with infinite shock. The Crimson Flame gasped and rushed over to his young friend's body, realizing that the young one had protected X from Sigma's attack. Frantically, Zero tried to awaken him-

"Axl! Axl! Wake up! Come on! It's me, Zero! Wake up!"

"Oh God…..nooooo……nooooooo…..this can't be…….no……"

Sigma folded his arms and smiled silently, his face shining with pleasure. X rushed over to both of his friends, feeling excruciatingly sick with fear-

"Zero……."

Zero's attention was on the Black Tiger. His eyes, which were normally strong, powerful beams of fire….were filled with immeasurable amounts of tension and sadness……devotion and fear…….his voice was soft and urgent, but at the same time, it was firm…….

"Axl. Come on. Wake up. I KNOW you're still there. Please."

Nothing.

_I'm going to do what you did for me._

"Wake up."

_Wake up._

_Please…..wake up._

_I know you're still there._

_I know you aren't gone._

_**Wake up.**_


	48. Miracles

We're almost at the home stretch. To all of my friends that have supported me-thank you. I appreciated the support all of you gave me when all others started accusing me of writing 'shounen-ai', and all of you still mean so much to me. Before we begin with the next chapter, I'd like to take this time to respond to you guys.

* * *

Uzu-Chan: I'm sorry for misleading you. To tell you the truth, the 'Soul' chapter was supposed to be longer, but I had to cut it short because of class time. There were only supposed to be a few chapters left, but time changes things. And you really do enjoy analyzing things! (smiles) Yeah, I'm really sorry about the whole 'Sigma' descriptions-I'm just trying to get a good picture of him myself. I don't know what else to call him yet! AND HE'S DEFINITELY NOT THAT DUDE OF OFF TWISTED METAL-NO WAY. He's more like Albedo. Definitely. Or Kuja from Final Fantasy 9.

I'm glad you liked X's attack. It's nice to know that my new interpretation of the final battle was liked. I was waiting for someone to pop up and say "THAT'S NOT HOW THINGS GO", but oh well.

MyGBAcantalk: Hi there! Yeah, I can actually picture Sigma working at Claire's: 'Would you like a nice shiny pair of earrings to go with your brassiere?'. Nice thought!

Prjct.War: Thanks for your opinions on Sigma! And keep up the amazing work on your story. As for Miss Khilai-I asked her about her troubles, and she told me everything. I don't think I have the right to share her information-that would be like a doctor sharing a patient's data with other patients-but I will let you know this. The character named Red in her masterpiece was giving her a lot of problems. She's all right now, thank goodness. And it seems like the pervertedness of my story is coming off great! (laughs)

Star Ninja: Hi! It's always nice to have you here. You enjoy being left on cliffs, don't you? (laughs) Hee hee heeeee...

PRIVATE: (hugs) Don't cry anymore. It'll be okay...I think.

Khilai: Thank you. I always look forward to reading your reviews, since they're always so detailed! You let me know what parts of my story you like, and WHY you like them, and I appreciate that! Because of you I know how much power I have as a writer! Thank you, so much! I don't know if I helped you out or not, but I'm glad you're back, and I don't want Red or ANYONE ELSE to take you down!

The world can't lose precious sunlight, or else it'll die!

Racegirl: I don't know if you'll be back in here, but if you are reading this, thank you! But Red really wasn't a bad guy...

On with the show!

* * *

Silence swarmed into the Red Alert Syndicate base like a pack of venomous bees. It watched over the two frantic Maverick Hunters anxiously, drowning in their pain and understanding their tension. Frosty winds swept through their current location like gales of fire, filling their hearts with immeasurable dread...both of their hearts were swiftly pounding...trying to escape from the confinement they were being forced to endure...tears were streaming down their faces...the world around them began to spin madly...it was almost as if the world was changing, right before them...

X couldn't take his eyes off of Zero, who was holding onto the lifeless body of Axl. The eyes of the gentle Maverick Hunter were filled with one solid thing-cold, hard fear. His eyes were beautiful, solid pools of eternal light...but the light was being created by the pristine tears falling from his heart. He possessed a desire to move, but moving any body part was simply impossible, since he was completely paralyzed by fear. He could barely even breathe, and his mouth refused to shut itself...everything felt so cold, so dead...

"No...oh God, no...no...this isn't how it should be..."

Zero wasn't ready to give up. Not by a long-shot. His ethereal eyes were firm, solid gemstones of unbreakable determination...they were the eyes of a loving, caring father trying to awaken his son. His voice, although shaky, was stern and frantic...his body was trembling, but he tried his best to stay calm...

"Axl. Axl, wake up."

_Wake up._

_Come on, don't leave me._

_Wake up._

Two seconds passed, and Zero's heart dropped like a rock into a gutter. The young Reploid wasn't moving at all-the Crimson Flame wasn't receiving any type of response. A part of the Maverick Hunter wanted to give into fear, but he was unwilling to throw away what his dear friend had believed in.

Hope.

What happened next shocked Mega Man X.

Zero slowly closed his eyes, and gently placed his heart against the heart of his young friend. Fear was threatening to consume his entire body, but the Maverick Hunter wasn't ready to give in. He held onto Axl tightly, shielding him from all danger the way a mother bear would shield her cub...hoping...waiting...waiting...for something...hoping...

_Wake up. Axl, awaken._

_I am with you._

_Rise from the darkness-_

_Don't let Sigma-_

_Don't let anyone take you from the light!_

_Don't surrender to anyone!_

Those last words echoed throughout his mind.

_Don't surrender to anyone!_

Tears welled up in the eyes of the Maverick Hunter-waves of emotion wanted to consume him badly...he remembered the way he felt when Iris had sacrificed her life...

Forlorn, desperate, and heartbroken.

He never thought he would feel like that, ever again. He never thought he would become a small, helpless, sorrowful little kitten again...he never thought he would have to feel such horrible, painful emotions ever again...

Tears began to stream from his eyes, and they gave his eyes a wonderful, surreal warmth...his body began to tremble even more and more...

_Don't leave us!_

_We need you!_

Seconds smacked him right in the face. Nothing was working.

"AXL! WAKE UP, DAMMIT! YOU CAN'T LEAVE US LIKE THIS! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU IF YOU DO!"

**Time seemed to be laughing at him.**

He wanted to go insane. His emotions were tearing him apart.

The world continued to spin and spin and spin and spin...his head continued to spin madly...nothing would stop...nothing would slow down...time continued to laugh at him...he was trapped in a non-stop, inexplicable nightmare...a nightmare that refused to end...a swift yet deadly nightmare...it just wouldn't stop...

Tears continued to fall from his eyes, sparkling...shimmering like drops of dew, descending from the petals of newborn flowers...glowing like the rays of light from the golden orb known as the sun...they struck the face of the sleeping Black Tiger like tiny raindrops...the world continued to spin and spin...X's eyes were glued on the frantic, fearful eyes of his dearest friend...

"Axl!"

Zero's heart leapt beyond the heavens during the next second that elapsed. He truly felt as if it had shot right out of his chest...and into a nameless void. What happened after his friend's name left his mouth caused a million bolts of electricity to shoot right through his body-

His young friend's eyes opened.

"Okay okay-I'm awake already. Sheesh. Stop screaming at me already."

The Crimson Flame's heart continued to rise higher and higher...radiant teardrops streamed from his warm gemstones like waterfalls...

And a smile broke out on his face.

The sharp gasp of relief from Mega Man X touched his ears with the gentleness of a feather. The eyes of the blue Maverick Hunter lit up like the eyes of a child on Christmas day, and his heart soared into an abyss of immoderate happiness...

"Axl! You're alive! You're all right!"

"Yeah, barely...still here though...aaackkk...sheesh, I ache all over..."

The emotions that swept through Zero refreshed his body and soul, but they swept through him at a painful, perilous pace-he felt as if someone had struck him right in the head with a hammer. The tears just wouldn't stop...

**At the least the world had stopped spinning.**

"Took you long enough, pal." he said to his young friend, feeling as if a thousand hammers had struck him in the head all at once. His voice was soft and calm, but his heart definitely wasn't calm...peace was the last thing on its mind. Axl smiled at him fondly, his eyes shimmering with tears of appreciation...and devotion. The young one's voice was soft and peaceful, but he was shivering a little because of the pain drenching his body...

"Sorry about that. Glad you woke me up, though. Sorry for worrying you two."

X wiped sheets of teardrops from his eyes, smiling...smiling with relief...

"If you even THINK about leaving us again, I'll kill you! Do you hear me?"

"Yeah, I hear you, Mom..." the young one replied to him, laughing weakly. Zero noticed that Axl was restless-the look in his eyes told the Crimson Flame that he wanted to get up and move around.

"I'm sorry for making you worry."

A melody of liberation drifted into X's heart, and fell into his eyes like an ephemeral wind of twilight. The smile on his face became even brighter, and his heart soared into a place that couldn't be described by anything-

"It's all right. I'm just glad you're okay. I'm sorry about accidentally striking you...and thank you...for protecting me. Thanks so much, Axl."

"Hey, no problem." the young Reploid told him jauntily, throwing a wink in his direction. He sounded like someone that was about to throw a tea party-calm, cheerful and composed.

**Just like always.**

"Everything's cool."

A brief moment later, he began to stretch out his arms, and made several attempts to rise from Zero's shield. At first, moving around was intensely difficult because of the pain flooding his body, but it only took him a few seconds to see past the pain. The Crimson Flame watched his young friend worriedly...the way a fearful mother would watch her cub make its first steps...but Axl was determined to stand on his own bravely. Gritting his teeth, the young one finally left his friend's arms a minute later, bearing a resemblance to a wounded horse that was determined to finish the race he had started...

"Everything's perfectly cool, X."

The look on Axl's face brought even more tears to the Maverick Hunter's eyes. Zero looked at him proudly, beaming at him with brotherly love...the emotions within the young one's eyes moved him to tears...

They touched his heart deeply.

"Let's finish this creep off, guys."

X wasn't ready to let the cub fight. Tension struck his eyes and caused a gasp to draw itself from his mouth...Axl was still in a lot of pain...

"Wait a minute! You can't-"

"X, you can't keep me down. You should know this by now, buddy." the Reploid replied, twirling one of his guns around, smiling like the most confident cowboy. "I didn't come this far just to be put out of the ring after a few measly minutes."

Zero, the Angel of Death, unsheathed his mighty Z-Saber and stood at his young friend's side, ready for anything...ready for anyone. His eyes were sparkling with the light of a new future, the light of newborn stars...the light of...

Hope.

"I'm ready whenever you are, Axl."

The emotions flowing through Zero's body reached X's heart. The legendary Maverick Hunter readied his X-Buster...also ready to take on the present...and...

The future.

The three of them united...and stood together...ready for what time would bring...ready for what the future would bring...ready for anything. All of their eyes held the same emotion, but at the same time, each pair of eyes held unique, ethereal qualities...X's eyes were like the eyes of a true, devoted soldier...Zero's eyes were bright and strong, like the eyes of a speed demon...

Axl's eyes were jubilant, merry gemstones of valiance.

X spoke to his two friends the way a general would speak to his soldiers right before the final battle...but his eyes held the emotions of a true, loving companion...

"My friends...it's time to run across the finish line."

The three of them placed their eyes on Sigma, who had been watching them the way a sadistic child watched a legless grasshopper wriggle around. The evil Maverick had a gleeful smile on his eyes, and his eyes were gleaming with the devilish merriment of a cat...apparently, he had enjoyed watching the three bond with each other...

"Good, good, very good."

The Maverick clasped his hands together...and his smile became even larger.

"Now, let's get back to our party, shall we? I can't wait to finishing dancing with the three of you. Come now, give me some more of yourselves-I'm just dying to taste all of you! I am quite hungry."

The battle fire from Axl's eyes vanished in an instant, and comical disgust replaced it.

"Guys...I don't think we should touch him. I mean, after all, he did lick Zero-"

Zero lowered his Saber.

"Well..." X said to his young friend, laughing anxiously-the look on Zero's face made him feel a little uneasy. The Crimson Flame obviously didn't want to think about the way Sigma had licked on him as if he had been a lollipop-

"Just try to keep yourself as far away as you can from him, if you don't want to touch him."

"Awwww." Sigma whined, putting on the sweet, sugary look of a kitten. "You're afraid of little ol' me? Don't be! I just want to caress your delicious bodies and pull them into OBLIVION!"

What happened next caused time to fall out of existence.

The three friends gasped...eyes widened...hearts stopped...everything stopped...

"COME NOW, JOIN IN MY SWEET DANCE OF ETERNAL LIFE!"


	49. Spirit

Before we begin: I just want to say something to the newbies that might stroll in-

BE MATURE, PLEASE. IF YOU CAN'T, DON'T WASTE MY TIME.

* * *

The entire universe altered itself right before the eyes of the three friends. The hands of time froze, but at the very same time, they quickened their pace-it was as if all time was being controlled by an unseen, unstoppable force of dynamic strength. The temperature become intolerably cold and the walls around them vanished into thin air. All of these facts surprised the team greatly, but the outside world had changed drastically-it was almost too bizarre to believe. The sky was no longer a quiet, mysterious shade of blue-it was now a bright, staggering shade of yellow, and streams of starlight were flowing through it, the way fish swam up a rapid stream. The clouds that had been in the air had been forced to transform themselves into cold mists of translucent frost……and the ground seemed to be non-existent. Their current surroundings were extremely hard to describe-it was as if they were trapped inside of a vortex of some kind. Before them was Sigma, hovering in the air, resembling a black bat with red eyes and enormous wings. The look on his face was the look of a greedy child, but at the same time, he looked like a ravenous, devilish bear. He was only a few feet off the ground, but he didn't need to go any higher to make his point-he was the ruler of this new dimension, and he was strutting his stuff perfectly well.

The eyes of his enemies weren't filled with fear, however-each pair of eyes held their own qualities, their own emotions. X's eyes were wide, but they weren't filled with the emotion Sigma wanted to see-the legendary Maverick Hunter was astounded by what had happened to the environment, and was ready to encounter anything that was about to come his way. Zero's eyes were right on Sigma, glowing with a dangerous amount of hatred…..the Crimson Flame had a smile on his face, but he looked like he apparently wanted to rip Sigma's head off slowly. Axl's eyes were also on Sigma, but they were filled with the greatest amount of confidence…..and hope. The evil Maverick grinned at all of his opponents merrily, savoring every passing second-

"Well well well! Aren't you all ready to play! How about it-want to have another round!"

"I'm ready for you, pal!" the Black Tiger shouted out at him boldly, spinning his guns on his fingers with an awe-inspiring amount of grace and speed. His eyes were fatal gemstones of unstoppable fire, and his voice was a strong beam of golden light. Hearing Axl speak was like watching an eagle that had been held in captivity for several years take its first true flight.

"Bring it on!"

"Right." Zero said calmly, examining his Saber. "Who's going to make this first move? There are four of us here-wouldn't it chaotic if we all jumped in at once?"

Sigma narrowed his eyes at his old "friend", but then smiled a second later. The Crimson Flame was being perfectly calm-his calmness pleased the Maverick the way a mouse pleased a very fat cat. His eyes gleamed with a disgusting amount of ecstasy-the amount of ecstasy within his eyes was so high that it caused X to cringe in horror. "Well now, aren't we feisty?" he said to the phenomenal Maverick Hunter, licking his lips. "That's what I've always liked about you, Zero-you're always so sure of yourself! My precious little pet, you'll be mine soon, I promise. Aren't you excited?"

Zero didn't give out a response to Sigma, but Sigma's words caused X's heart to skip a few beats. The insane Maverick sounded like he had something hidden behind his back-the tone of voice he had used for his last remarks caused X to become uneasy. The gentle Maverick Hunter looked at his best friend's face urgently, his own eyes sparkling with both soft fear and confusion…..but the Crimson Flame looked at him with infinite wildfires in his eyes. Fear was not present-Zero was ready to handle anything Sigma had in store for him. Axl spoke next, bravely stepping out in front of his two silent friends.

"You're not getting your filthy mitts on any of my pals! I've had just about enough of you, Sigma!"

The sadistic, demonic glee didn't vanish from the Maverick's voice, but a few new qualities were added to it. His voice transformed itself into a poisonous, fatal melody….a melody that held the desire for endless bloodshed and pain. The deceitful eyes of the Maverick became horrifying gemstones of blood…..and they held the desire for power….the desire for rebirth……the desire……….for…….

Blood.

"You're just as cute as Zero! Don't you worry, little one-you'll be joining us! And we can all have fun together!"

Those words struck the young Reploid like a million bricks. Confusion struck his heart and caused the desire for battle to vanish from his eyes….his heart dropped right into the deepest gutter…..as his body filled itself with terrifying astonishment-

"What!"

Axl's confusion presented Sigma with greatest opportunity. The Maverick struck out at the disorientated Black Tiger with his arms at the speed of light, smiling…….his fists dug deep into the chest of the young one mercilessly, and he buried his opponent deep into the ground, laughing….time passed right by the Black Tiger…..it WAS being controlled by an unseen force…….

"Yes, YES-I've seen the future! You'll be getting your party soon! Very soon!"

(A/N: Sigma's throwing out hints about what will happen between Lumine and Axl in 'Until the End of Eternity': X8 adaptation. Sigma is able to see into the future.)

Immoderate pain ate away at Axl's body savagely. The eyes of his opponent burned into his own eyes, which were filled with the very thing Sigma wanted to see-fear. The ground beneath him continued to rise all around him……..his entire world became a wild, excruciating blur…..nothing seemed real…..nothing at all…..he was a million miles away from his two friends……a million miles away from everything…..

"Poor little thing, I won't kill you-I just want to have some fun!"

Sigma's words didn't ring true. The Maverick said he had no desire to kill his opponent, but the pain he was dealing out was beyond intolerable, and the young one had not yet recovered from the first round of battle. Pain continued to eat away at his entire body…..it was like drowning in a sea of fire ants……and there wasn't anything he could do to escape from the clutches of vast torment. No options were available, and his strength was fading fast…..the pain refused to stop….it wouldn't stop…….Pain had its own soul, its own mind……and it was being controlled by the heart of Sigma….

He couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't open his mouth……..the world around him changed once again…..he was placed in a whole new battlefield, a whole new realm of destructive possibilities……but it was a world he had no chance of surviving in….for he was blinded by pain……everything around him seemed to be spinning….spinning and spinning and spinning……

Time could no longer be measured. Sigma had taken control over everything….

An unidentified amount of time elapsed, and then…….another miracle occurred. A battle cry of phenomenal power shot right into the young Reploid's ears, and brought his heart an everlasting amount of relief…..the cry was filled with an awesome amount of inexplicable strength……it was like hearing an eagle cry………

Sigma released the young Reploid and looked away from him, smiling……

He would have made the perfect cat.

"Hmm. Zero."

The young Reploid's vision was completely distorted because of the pain consuming him, but he tried his best to follow Sigma's gaze. The moment he turned his head was the moment his heart jolted violently with joy, and pristine raindrops filled his youthful eyes. An ethereal pool of golden yellow light was before him…..and it was definitely the most beautiful thing he had set his eyes on. The vast pool was beyond breathtaking-it looked like something that had truly descended from the heavens. Within that pool was the Maverick Hunter called Zero-the living, breathing phenomenon's eyes were closed, and he was going through a transformation sequence. He had heard the cries of his young friend's heart, and followed him into the new dimension Sigma had created...tears streamed and streamed from the young Reploid's eyes, and a smile bloomed on his face….

"Zero."

The pool of light wrapped itself around the Reploid's body, and he allowed it to work its magic. The pool separated itself into streams of beautiful light, and those streams altered the Hunter's body. First, he raised his arms and allowed the streams of light to wrap themselves around his body-the small waves of light brought him new armor. When the armor was completed, he lowered his arms and allowed the streams of light to raise over his head-his golden yellow ponytail became longer, and his eyes, even though they were still closed, changed as well. His Saber, which was resting in its hilt, was also altered because of the process-it went from being a light shade of green to a pure shade of white. The power of his Saber also increased, and it increased to a striking, breathtaking degree. Luminous, translucent white wings appeared behind him and gave him the aura of a true celestial soldier, but they vanished as soon as they arrived.

The transformation process didn't take any longer than a few minutes. The streams of light made themselves scarce, and the Hunter opened his eyes with a smile. His appearance knocked the wind out of both Axl and Sigma-his armor was no longer just red and white-it was now black and a heavenly shade of light. He wasn't alone-X was right next to him, wearing his renowned Ultimate Armor…and also wearing a smile. Both of them exchanged smiles with each other, and then their eyes fell on Axl, who was dangerously close to sobbing. The young one was definitely in a great amount of pain, but he was able to give his friends a small smile…..

"Jeez, you guys…….you certainly know how to make an entrance…."

"Glad you liked it." Zero said to his young friend softly. He knelt down and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, his eyes radiating great concern and warmth. "Are you going to live?" he asked him, and received a nod in return. The nod was weak, that was true, but the young one was determined to fight with his two friends.

"Yeah. I'm gonna be fine. Don't worry about me."

"You can't expect us not to worry about you. That's impossible. You're obviously in a great amount of pain."

"….."

"Don't be embarrassed." Mega Man X said to his young friend kindly, patting him on the back gently. "It's all right. You're hurt-you can't pretend that you aren't. You know, you're just like Zero."

"That means you've got a big ego." The Ethereal Deity murmured to the Black Tiger mischievously, bearing the look of a clever child in his eyes. "Don't cry now-up on your feet. No more tears. If you wish to fight, then fight-we're with you."

"Where…..are we?" the young Reploid asked him, once again shaming the cutest little kitten. Zero shook his head and sighed softly.

"I don't know. I really don't know. I guess we're lost within a time vortex. I can't really tell you. Sigma made it, after all."

Zero's 'old friend' licked his lips for what seemed like the tenth thousandth time. The Maverick's eyes were still a fierce shade of red…..and the desire to kill was swimming around in his blood-red gemstones. He wanted to finish off the mortally wounded Axl, but at the same time he didn't want to kill of any fun. The Black Tiger had a lot of spirit-

That couldn't go to waste.

The eyes of the magnificent Deity called Zero went right out to the demonic villain. The eyes of the Maverick Hunter were soft, tender gemstones of holy light….but they also held unsurpassable strength and bravery within them. His voice was firm yet soft and warm, filled with devotion…….he knew that his young friend was in serious danger…..

And did NOT want to lose him.

"X."

"What's up?"

"Doesn't your Soul Body armor come with healing abilities?"

A small frown shot onto the legendary Hunter's face and glued itself there for a moment as he thought about an answer to his friend's question. His mind reeled over all of the information regarding his current suit of armor……and then he gave his friend a proper answer….

Sadly.

"I'm afraid not, my friend."

"Then think of another way to help Axl. I don't have any healing powers, and someone has to play with Sigma."

Sigma clapped his hands at the mention of his name….the way a child would clap its hands after being chosen to do a very fun magic trick.

"Ooooo! I get to play with Zero! Wow, you've never used this armor before! I can't wait to see you try it out!"

Zero's voice was calm and smooth……and filled with the greatest amount of confidence….and hope. He looked back at his two dear friends….his most precious treasures……and winked at them.

"X…..Axl……"

Both of them looked at him with the same facial expression: the facial expression confusion created. "What?"

The Ethereal Deity said one last word before he made his first attack on Sigma-

"Thanks."

Neither X or Axl had any time to respond. The incredible Maverick Hunter lunged out at his enemy with his newborn Saber, delivering the attack with an arresting amount of elegance and speed. The attack turned out to be successful-the Saber struck Sigma's face with an amazing amount of power, and emitted a wave of crystal white fire. The two of them began a rapid duel, moving about at a speed that surpassed the speed of sound…..both of them were in the air, delivering their own attacks, releasing their own emotions……firing out at each other with everything they had within their souls…..

* * *

"YES, YES! I LIKE IT! YOUR NEW TOY IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE, ZERO! I LIKE IT! WHERE DID IT COME FROM, I WONDER?"

Zero's eyes were focused on the body of his enemy. Wisps of his golden yellow ponytail were appearing in front of his face, but he didn't allow them to dampen his vision. The sweat streaming from his body caused them to stick to his face, but none of them bothered him. He continued to attack his opponent mercilessly-even though all of his attention was placed on the heat of the battle, he was still able to answer his foe. He knew Sigma loved to spout off during their duels, and so he was able to either answer him or just flat-out ignore him.

"IT CAME FROM SOMETHING YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND, DEAR FRIEND!"

That answer shocked the Maverick for a few seconds, but then his malicious smile returned to his face in an instant. He knew what his old pal was speaking about-the armor he was wearing didn't come from a program.

It came from…..

The one named Axl.

"Glad you like what I can do with it!" Zero shouted out at him, unwilling to bring a halt to his attacks, which were being perfectly matched. Sigma was able to meet all of his attacks perfectly-it was as if they were two swordsman, and their blades were bouncing off of each other.

"I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS NEXT TREAT, MY GOOD FRIEND!"

Sigma released two massive balls of energy from his hands and aimed them right out at Zero. Instead of dodging them, however, the Hunter absorbed the beams of energy with his Saber-he knew that if he had decided to dodge them, Sigma would have sent them out right at Axl and X, who were not participating in the battle. After absorbing the balls of energy he sent them right back out at Sigma, who batted them away with a flick of his hand. The Maverick laughed gleefully at his opponent with a smug smile-

"It looks like things are a teeny bit complicated-don't you think?"

Both of the combatants were still in the air…..Zero was breathing heavily, trying to figure out an effective battle technique……all of his attacks were practically bouncing right off of Sigma….X was still protecting the wounded Axl……

A minute later, a lightbulb went off in the Hunter's mind, and a small grin bloomed on his face. He closed his eyes, sheathed his Saber, and formed a gun with both of his hands…….waves of golden yellow fire began to rise around him……

"Blades of thunder, shadows of doubt, disperse and leave no trace behind. Break out from the vapors of darkness and shatter this demon within my eyes!"

Right then and there his eyes snapped open, and they weren't any different from the fangs of a pissed off panther.

"Release to me your will, erase this soul from existence! Haaaaaaaa!"

Colossal waves of lighting shot out from the Hunter's hands like ephemeral waterfalls, and they struck his enemy simultaneously. The attack was successful-a cry of immense pain left Sigma's mouth and pierced the cold, frosty air. The waves of lighting emitted strong rays of light, and those rays filled the world Sigma had created…..eliminating the cold darkness and replacing it with pure fire….

* * *

A solution to the problem that had been presented made itself known to X right after Zero had made his attack.

The soft-hearted Maverick Hunter closed his eyes and placed a hand over Axl's crystal……completely silent and lost in thought. The young one was confused by his friend's movement, but he kept himself within silence, and tried to ignore the pain that was still eating away at him. X kept his hand over Axl's crystal for several minutes, thinking……

_Dr.Cain once told me...that I could use my crystal's power...to heal..._

_"Don't concentrate on anything, my boy-just do it. Let your heart do the talking. That's all you need, son."_

_Let your heart do the talking._

A few minutes went by slowly…..but time was still being controlled by the hands of pure evil……Axl's eyes fell on a small pool of topaz blue light……which was coming from X's hand…..and being sent into his crystal…..

_"Don't think. Just let your heart do the talking."_

The Black Tiger closed his eyes…..he knew nothing of Dr.Cain's research, but somehow, he realized that he had to bring an end to his train of thought in order for the process to be successful. Both hearts had to communicate with each other flawlessly….so the power of the crystals could unite with each other……..the light streaming into his body was warm and refreshing…..like the beams of a newborn day……

_Let your heart speak._

Zero continued his duel with Sigma...but now, because of the dynamic attack he had delivered, things were a little different. He had the upper hand in the battle-some of Sigma's body parts were malfunctioning, and so he was unable to use them properly. With a small smile of confidence on his lips, the Maverick Hunter sent out a countless amount of attacks with his Saber, unwilling to show a scrap of pity for his opponent. The Maverick's speed had dropped several levels-he was no longer able to match any of Zero's attacks. The Hunter definitely had the upper hand in the duel.

Several minutes dropped upon both of them, and then flew right off. Sigma broke away from Zero, breathing heavily……his opponent was only a few feet away, smiling…..smiling proudly……and holding that damned Saber of his….

"Still having fun?"

Oceans of blood were streaming from the Maverick's body…..but they pleased the thirsty demon immeasurably. With a finger he tasted his own blood, and smiled ecstatically…..enjoying every moment of his life….his sick, twisted life….

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am! You're throwing such a wonderful party!"

What happened next caused the Maverick's heart to jump right out of his chest.

"Well, you're going to have even more fun, STARTING NOW!"

Sigma's eyes widened with the greatest amount of disbelief…….

His eyes were…..

On…..

**Himself?**

"WHAT! WHAT IS THIS-ANOTHER ME? THIS CAN'T BE!"

It was true. There was another Sigma, hovering in the air behind the true Sigma…..and that Sigma was laughing…..smiling….

"You'd better believe it! Isn't this a small world?"

The shock that consumed Sigma's body caused him to become completely paralyzed, and vulnerable to all attacks. The Sigma clone delivered a mighty blow of energy from his hands to the true Sigma, sending the shocked Maverick right into the ground. The attack was wondrously effective-the Maverick's body was almost completely broken. His eyes went right back up to the face of his clone…..and they burned with hatred….

"YOU! I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! SHED THAT DISGUISE IMMEDIATELY!"

A tiny smile lit up the Sigma clone's face. He spread his arms apart, closed his eyes…..and streams of gentle white light uncovered the truth. The Reploid named Axl grinned at him victoriously and waved at him with one of his guns-

"Pretty cool trick, huh?"

Sigma didn't get any time to answer. X delivered a potent attack with his Buster, his own heart beaming with pride and confidence. The Hunter had never felt such a high degree of confidence and excitement before…..

But a lot of things had changed.

"Sigma, you know you're outclassed! Surrender or die in obscurity!"

(A/N: A cookie goes to anyone that can find out where X's line came from. Hint: it came from a Final Fantasy game.)

Like a true, red-eyed demon, Sigma rose from the ground and lunged right out at X-

"NEVER! I'LL NEVER SURRENDER TO ANY OF YOU! I'LL NEVER CEASE TO EXIST! YOU'LL NEVER DEFEAT ME!"

An opportunity to attack was wide open.

Zero and Axl shot out of the sky and attacked the demon relentlessly, using their own unique techniques and style to take down the screaming Maverick. The show of force they displaced was beyond phenomenal-their attacks united with each other and created an unstoppable force of light. Sigma was unable to avoid any of their attacks, and was also unable to endure them……..the world he had created began to fall apart, right before his very eyes……the skies above them transformed themselves into an unbelievable shade of blue…….silver drops of starlight began to stream throughout the endless blue oceans……..the cries of the evil Maverick drifted away into the air……

"YOU'LL NEVER DEFEAT ME! I'LL COME BACK! Mark my words, I'll be back!"

His last few words echoed throughout the crystal blue skies……but were soon eliminated by the silver stars within them…….the light from the last attacks faded away…..and the ground ceased its shivering…….everything became calm…….yet…….the winds were still strong……..Sigma's last words echoed within the minds of the three Reploids……

But they brought no fear upon any of them.

* * *

The world Sigma had created was no longer his world. It was a realm of crystal blue light…..a silent, serene world of deep beauty. The winds were still strong, but they were soft and gentle…….the clouds had disappeared………and….they were ethereal nebulas in the sky…….the stars were shimmering upon them, smiling upon them……

The world was perfectly aware of everything that had taken place.

The world knew that it was safe…..for the moment.

Zero removed the divine armor he had placed himself in, and returned to being the Crimson Flame. Silently, he looked at the two of his friends…….

And smiled.

They smiled back at him.

All three of them knew…..that Sigma wasn't gone forever. They knew he would be back.

They knew they would be ready for his return.

Small drops of dew flew from the Crimson Flame's eyes and soared away with the winds, shaming the silver starlight…..

"So. Are you two ready?"

A warm smile broke out on X's face, and his soft eyes began to sparkle with deep devotion. "Of course I am." he replied, watching his own teardrops fly away with the wind. He looked at Axl, who was wearing the cutest grin on his face.

"Are you ready?"

The Black Tiger closed his eyes and thought of answer……he knew, that this answer……

Was going to determine the course of his life-

The course of his destiny.

He thought of everything that had happened……everything about Red…….everything about the Red Alert Syndicate…..the times he had spent as a member of the Syndicate……the memories of the past……..the memories of the present……the lessons he had received from his first friend…….

A minute passed.

Axl opened his eyes.

"You guys?"

"Yeah?" X and Zero asked him simultaneously.

"Let's go home."

* * *

This chapter was a pretty amazing chapter to write. I wrote it while listening to the Final Battle music from Final Fantasy 10.

**Once again, a word to those that feel like saying something smart about this chapter-if you can't be mature, then don't waste my time. Sigma is truly nothing more than a psychotic clown-I'm not writing about anything that has to do with sexual intercourse. And for the tenth millionth time, I am not writing 'shounen-ai'.**

Sometimes I wish I could just blast all of the stupid people out of the world….

I was gone for a long time-I apologize for being away! It was because of Spring Break-I didn't have a SINGLE opportunity to touch my story! There is only one chapter left, for sure! To all of my friends that have been with me all of the way-I hope you enjoyed the battle between Sigma, Axl, Zero and X!

(whimpers) And X WASN'T useless, by the way….he helped out a lot too….just in case one of you want to say that 'Zero did all of the work! Haha!' (smiles)

Thank you….all of you.

KOS-MOS of Xenosaga Episode 1: The 'Strings of Fate' finale is due to be posted on Thursday, March 31 of the year 2005. If any changes are made to this, please forgive the author for any inconvience. We appreciate your support.

Axl: (face lights up) Hey, you're cute.

Zero: (sighs) Life has no meaning….

Dog: Awwoooooo!

Zero: Oh God…..

Spider of Mega Man X: Command Mission: 'Until the End of Eternity', Rue's version of Mega Man X8, is due to begin shortly after the completion of 'Strings of Fate'. A 'Dark Cloud 2' fan fic is also being planned, but whether the story will be created or not is still up in the air. She hopes that all of you will enjoy her new story-or 'stories'.

Shion of Xenosaga, Episode 1: And if anyone has any fics about the latest Suikoden installment, please share them with the author. (throws down the paper she was reading from) Sheesh, she's really worked up about this whole Suikoden thing.

Dynamo: I don't understand why. I think it's a waste of air.

Massimo of Command Mission: AND SO ARE YOU! (flings Dynamo away, anime-style) HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT A TRUE PIECE OF ART!

Spider: Rue would like to dedicate Massimo's actions to all of those that think the latest Suikoden game stinks. Thank you very much.

Somebody: AYYAAAAAAAHHH-

Zero: What is this, a circus?


	50. Strings of Fate Finale

Dynamo: (is dressed like game show host) All right, ladies and gentlemen….it's the time you've all been waiting for…..it's Rue's Review Corner! (applause)

Zero: Doesn't that sound a little corny?

Dynamo: (reads piece of paper) All righty-our contestants today are the lucky Uzu-Chan, Star Ninja, MyGBAcanTalk, Racegirl, PRIVATE, and our newcomer, J! Let's get them a round of applause, everyone!

Storm Eagle of Mega Man X1: (dances around while chanting a mysterious chant of magic proportions)

Zero: (reads latest reviews) ……my armor didn't come from 'Command Mission'….I hated that adventure…….

Double from X4: Awww. Is it because you acted like such a jerk in it?

(The narrator for every movie preview in existence begins to speak. His voice echoes throughout the game room like thunder, and everything becomes dark…..)

Dude: The first blockbuster of the year will keep everyone on their edge of their seats…prepare yourselves for the greatest movie of all time…….DYNAMO POTTER!

Zero: (mouth drops wide open) Oh my god. Are we serious? (sees Dynamo fly around on a broomstick, looking just like Harry Potter)

X: (pats him on the back) I'm sorry. I hope nobody forces a lawsuit upon us.

Uzu-Chan: During the whole 'wake up' scene with Axl and Zero, Sigma was completely silent-he enjoyed watching the entire thing because even though he thinks sweet emotions are completely meaningless, he also thinks they're amusing. The whole scene that took place between those two amused him. I didn't take offense to anything you said-you actually made me laugh because what you said is true-the enemies always wait for their opponents to finish their business for unknown reasons! And I'm so glad you like Sigma so much! I guess I made him perfectly well!

Zero's armor didn't come from Command Mission. I know he does have a black armor suit in Command Mission, but I made up the entire transformation sequence. That game didn't inspire me in any way. And as for me playing it…..I DID play it….I was able to play through it once…….and I wanted to play through it again, because I didn't get everything the first time around….but then I stuck a demo disc I received in the mail inside of my PS2, and the stupid thing kinda deleted all of the data on my memory cards…..so in other words, it was like I stuck a virus into the PS2. All of my memory cards were wiped out in one single night, all thanks to a stupid demo disc.

The night that happened was so tragic for me! Waaaah!

I haven't touched Command Mission in a VERY long time. I have not yet recovered from the loss.

PRIVATE: Yeah, you're right-I'll be putting another story under my belt soon! Thank you for waiting me to update all of the time! But…….you're not getting the cookie from Dynamo's bakery. X's line didn't come from Final Fantasy X! (grins)

Racegirl: Nope. You thought Zero's armor came from Command Mission too-he does have a black armor suit in there, but that game wasn't my inspiration. The entire transformation sequence and the changes made to his Saber were all from my imagination. Dynamo's not giving you any cookies either! (grins again)

Dynamo: (gives J a cookie) Here you go. You won first prize!

Gate: Who in the right mind would take a cookie from some guy wearing a pink, frilly apron?

Gaudile from Command Mission: (looks at new review from Youshou) Why are all of the newbies coming in now? The story is almost over!

Pallette of X8: Leave him alone. Everyone wants to cheer us on!

Gaudile: And do you mean to tell me that 'J' is actually an anonymous reviewer? There are actually NICE ones out there besides PRIVATE and MyGBA?

Redips of Command Mission: I guess. Pretty weird, huh?

To MyGBAcanTalk: No, NOBODY'S BEING MOLESTED! (laughs) THINGS AREN'T GOING TO TURN OUT LIKE THAT! That would be beyond awful. Sigma's just playing around….well….sort of…..but I'M NOT GOING TO WRITE ABOUT ANYONE BEING MOLESTED. Sigma's just a little sick in the head. That's all.

To Star Ninja: Hello! Thanks for the input! I enjoyed creating the battle scenes-they were a lot of fun to write! Sorry for not reviewing your story-I try to read other stories whenever I can. You're not whining. It's okay to ask for reviews! But PLEASE DON'T THINK I HATE YOUR STORY-IT'S CUTE! I gave you a review, but just in case you don't get to it, it's adorable! I love it! Hey, wait a minute-did you make up the character 'Star' by using your own pen name, Star Ninja? Is that supposed to be you? Wicked awesome story! I love it!

**Note: There will be very little dialogue in the finale.**

High Max from X6: Now, on with the show! (red curtains spread apart) On with the 'Strings of Fate' finale!

* * *

The skies that had fallen over the world Sigma had formed had also made their peaceful descent upon the entire world. The planet was resting….recovering from the tragedies it had been forced to endure…..savoring every second of serenity and warmth. Tranquil silence drenched every corner of the earth….the way sunlight soaked a horizon that had been lost within darkness for an eternity. Flocks of crystal white birds were soaring through the calm air silently, watching over the world they dwelled in while releasing beautiful streams of ethereal light from their wings…….the waves of every ocean danced onto peaceful, blissful shores quietly…….

Everything was at peace.

The magical spell that had fallen onto the world defied the very boundaries of comprehension, but it was a spell that would forever be remembered by all of those that felt it. Every living being on the planet was embraced by the sheer warmth of the light within the blue sky……and the silver stars flowing through it enchanted all eyes that fell upon them. It was a strange, yet miraculous and wonderful event……it was as if the earth was being reborn….the entire planet had become a realm of infinite, silent serenity……and the warmth flowing through the hearts of the world wiped away the painful emotions they had been forced to endure for so long. The nightmare the world had been in was over-and now was the perfect time to rest. It was the beginning of a new day….new promises……..new adventures…….

It was the beginning of the future.

* * *

Tranquil, invigorating silence was also soaring throughout the Maverick Hunter Headquarters. Blue streaks of crystallized starlight were falling softly through every window…….and gentle winds brushed every nook and cranny of the entire base. Small groups of silver stars were silently dancing throughout the base…..smiling upon the living beings that dwelled within its walls. All work had ceased-none of them were working on long, arduous reports….none of them were filing documents……none of them were examining any equipment…..all of them were simply savoring the newborn light that had fallen upon their home….

With the ones they loved.

The nightmare they had been lost in for such a long time swept through their minds like cold waves of ice…….but those waves vanished as soon as they rose to the surface of the present. Every heart within the base was lost in the embrace of peace and contentment…….all of them knew that the peace was only temporary……..

But they also knew that Sigma would soon be put to rest permanently.

The silence was completely shattered when the three victors of the climatic clash returned. As soon as they stepped inside of the main control room, cheering broke out and bloomed throughout the base like a contagious disease-it was just like when Zero had been saved by Axl. Every single Reploid worker broke out with wild applause, whistles and shouts…..many of them even broke into tears when their eyes fell upon Axl, the one that had rescued their precious Captain just a short while ago. An enormous flock of female Reploids-including Alia-pounced on the young Reploid joyously, shedding many dewdrops of everlasting happiness….and childlike excitement. The Black Tiger drowned under what seemed like a million kisses for several minutes-Mega Man X was unable to assist his friend, due to the fact that he had been swept into the air by his old friend Douglas, and Zero didn't rescue his young friend because he simply enjoyed watching the female Reploids adore him, The Crimson Flame was also swept into the air by what felt like a hundred pairs of arms after a few minutes……..but none of that bothered him. With a warm, affectionate smile, he gladly accepted the devotion his fellow soldiers gave to him……enjoying the very warmth of a new day.

* * *

Twenty minutes elapsed inside of the Maverick Hunter base, and the expiration of those minutes brought upon silence. The wild, ecstatic cheering that had soared through the base for an eternity came to a halt……and all hearts became filled with the sonata of a newborn sunrise. Excitement rushed into the air, and playfully choked every heart……many Reploids felt as if their heart had stopped because of the powerful suspense that had swept through the air in no more than a flash……….

It was time for something to take place. And everyone knew what that something was….

Everyone except for Axl, that was.

The eyes of the young Reploid, which held a light that surpassed the innocence of a newborn kitten, darted in several different directions anxiously. The Black Tiger felt uneasy and confused because of the silence, and he also knew that everyone else could see what was about to happen-that fact didn't help things. For several moments his exuberant, childlike eyes darted all over the place and searched for an answer……then he gave up and asked about the sudden outbreak of silence. Silence resumed its stay for several minutes……and during those minutes, X and Zero passed a wink between each other.

It was as if they were throwing a huge birthday party for someone that was completely clueless.

The warm, gentle eyes of General Signas met the vibrant, eloquent eyes of the young Reploid named Axl several minutes later…..and the look within the General's eyes made him feel as if he were at some type of coronation. He narrowed his eyes at his friend in confusion, bearing a strong resemblance to a very cute but bewildered puppy that couldn't understand its owner. There was a smile on the General's face….a smile that held the bright new beginning of life…..

A smile that held many dreams.

Beyond those dreams were the many secrets of eternity….the many promises eternity brought….and the many emotions eternal dreams created. A realm of wisdom and devotion rested behind the brisk currents of emotive hopes…….and that realm shimmered with a light that surpassed the depth of every star. The eyes of the general were calm and clear…..just like the countless waves of the ocean….but at the same time they held swift tides of emotions….emotions that inspired him to reach out to the future. For a minute he gazed upon the face of the confused young Reploid in silence……but when that minute passed, the young one received everything he had dreamt of.

With a speech that stirred up fervent emotions inside of every being, General Signas of the Maverick Hunters bestowed the rank of a top-notch Hunter unto the Reploid that had restored the very thing called 'hope'. Axl was immediately placed into the 'S-Rank', which was the very same rank X and Zero were in, and not a single individual inside of the base argued with the general's decision. Smiles, embraces and ecstatic shouts pierced the calm, serene air and created a stimulating atmosphere as soon as the speech of the general came to completion-every living being inside of the base fell right back into immense bouts of cheering. Teardrops soared throughout the base incessantly, moving about through the hearts of every being like streams of fish flowing up a stream……and the tears emitted tiny beams of crystal white light….light that was beautiful enough to match the light of an angel's smile. There wasn't a single silent individual, and there were over seven hundred individuals inside of the base. The celebration that had broken out in the base just a short while ago had returned….with a difference.

This time, the celebration held more jubilance, more excitement….

More dreams.

An hour passed before the celebration died down, but the workers of the Maverick Hunter base didn't calm down at all. The thought of a new life excited all of them, and they were ready to do things they had never thought of before. All of them were ready to make all of their dreams come true, and some even vowed to make huge improvements on their jobs. Promises, vows-everything rushed throughout the base like a gigantic flood, and smiles were the side effect to everything. All of them were greatly excited by the mere thought of the future……a future that had been given to them by…..

The one named Axl.

The young one became a great hero in no more than an instant. Many Reploids spoke of their opinions about him, bearing great smiles on their faces-and many female Reploids spoke of him excitedly, the way a child would speak of an extremely cute puppy. Everything he had done for them was spoken of……and because of the excitement his name caused, the young one finally began to understand the true depth of the deed he had done. A small smile broke out on his face when he came across a younger, enthusiastic male Reploid named Regulus…..

Regulus had adopted the young Axl as one of his heroes.

Hours passed, and they brought back the beauteous silence that had filled the base a short while ago. The peaceful melody of the night had fallen upon the Maverick Hunter base…..and it was a breathtaking, glorious melody. The magic of night time had caused the sky to become an endless pool of dark purple dreams……but there were incandescent, iridescent streams of light flowing through the everlasting ocean. The streams of light were nebulas-nebulas that had never been seen by the earth before. The stars within the sky seemed to be grinning because of the astonishing amount of happiness flowing through their veins…….and even the translucent clouds were at peace. The heavens were bestowing rich, bountiful joy upon the earth……and everyone was as at ease. The sunlight would bring about the start of a new day….

The start of a new life.

* * *

Axl, the last remnant of the Red Alert Syndicate, was all alone inside of the Maverick Hunter observatory. Everything was silent…..and the world before him was like a painting-mysterious, yet celestial and comforting….enchanting and warm. There wasn't a single soul around him-his two new partners, Mega Man X and Zero, were inside of their dormitories….and everyone else had fallen into peaceful slumber. X was working on several new reports he had to finish for his general, but the Crimson Flame was simply thinking of everything that had occurred within the last few hours. There definitely was a lot to think about….it was almost too much to think about….

It was as if everything had been nothing but a dream.

* * *

11:20 pm.

X folded up his laptop and sighed softly, ready to close his eyes and fall into a realm of tranquil slumber. A smile bloomed on his face as thoughts of recent events filled his mind……the emotions he had felt during the nightmare his soul had gone through filled his mind……everything he had experience soared throughout his mind…..and he felt as if everything had just been a dream.

A wild, crazy dream.

A part of him wanted to believe that the nightmare was still going on-

Zero wasn't alive, Axl didn't really exist…..

It was extremely hard to believe in the emotions flowing through his body. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, his body, heart and soul were at peace….

He felt HAPPY.

**Happy.**

Strange word, 'happy'.

X finally learned the true meaning of happiness.

True happiness wasn't something that could easily be described, but it refreshed the body, mind and soul. It removed all horrible nightmares, thoughts, visions….and it replaced darkness with light. It changed even the course of time….and the course of Fate itself. It changed even the most rigid of hearts…..and it also altered the emotions of a heart. The true depth of joy filled the Maverick Hunter's heart like a calm, halcyon beam of pure light….

It was time….

To start living.

The warmth of happiness was gently lulling X to sleep the way a loving mother sang to a sleepy baby. The softhearted Maverick Hunter yawned, stretched out his arms, put away his laptop and got into his comfortable bed, still…..

Smiling.

He said a single sentence to himself before he closed his eyes-

"Well, here we go."

* * *

The empyrean, peaceful dormitory of the Crimson Flame was completely silent, and filled with the mystical warmth of the skies. The phenomenal Maverick Hunter was resting on his bed with closed eyes, completely lost in a world of thought…..

Completely lost in a world of happiness.

During his relationship with Iris, he learned the true meaning of happiness-

True happiness came to him passionately, ardently, fervently…….

It all happened….it all came to him….

Like a dream from the heavens.

He never thought he would ever feel such happiness again after she had sacrificed her life for her beliefs…..but…….

His entire life had changed.

His body was once again being held within the embrace of extraordinary, uplifting happiness……and it was incredibly powerful. A part of him wanted to descend from the dormitory and move around-the Crimson Flame had such much energy flowing within him….it was a strange, foreign amount of energy……

But at the same time….it was beyond beautiful…..

And the energy flowing through his heart brought tears into his eyes.

He wasn't even supposed to be alive.

Everything had changed….everything that had been written in stone was completely wiped away…..

The nightmare had passed.

And it was time….

For life to begin.

* * *

12:05.

The young Black Tiger was still all alone inside of the Observatory, absorbed in his own world of thoughts…..his own world of emotions and dreams. For what felt like the very first time, his eyes weren't their usual vibrant, childlike selves-they were filled with heavy, burdensome sadness. The silence surrounding him bothered his ears, since he was used to hearing the voices of the friends he cared so much for, but at the same time, his heart was glad to have the chance to think in silence. Not a single scrap of his usual jauntiness was present-he was silent, sad and utterly lost within a world of thought. The rooms outside of the observatory were silent….and there wasn't a single soul around him….

The entire world was at rest….

But it was ready to embrace…

The new day that was about to begin.

The memories that had touched his heart so deeply rose to the surface of the young one's mind, and caused beautiful teardrops to enter his eyes. The days he had spent with his first friend Red fell into his mind…and images of those days played all by themselves. Every lesson he had received from the proud, honorable Red Alert Syndicate member rose from the depths of his heart and into his mind….bringing themselves to the present. The young one had learned so much about the one that had rescued him from certain death…….the lessons he had gained from him were priceless, precious treasures……and they still meant so much to him. Before Sigma had found him, Red was a respectable Reploid, a Reploid of great decency, honor, integrity……

But when Sigma's soul united with his, he became a monster-a demon that craved nothing but blood and power.

That thought brought even more tears to the young one's eyes. A part of his heart missed Red, and that part of his heart refused to be ignored. The voice of the Red Alert Syndicate leader fell into his soul, and burned itself there for all eternity……

"Never let go of what you believe in, my dear Axl."

He was gone.

Everything he had created…everything he had dreamt of….

Was gone.

Tears of his soul rose into his young gemstones of everlasting vigilance…..as he thought of everything he had been through with his first friend…his father. He didn't know who his creator was-he didn't know who was truly responsible for bringing him into the world…..but he did know one thing. Red was the one that taught him everything he needed to know….everything he needed……to spread his wings and fly. The leader of the Red Alert Syndicate passed on a vast amount of knowledge to him……and shared many sunny days with the one he had loved so much. The Red that he had encountered several times during the nightmare he had been through wasn't the true Red….Sigma had poisoned his soul and took away the time they could have shared together……

But at least the true Red appeared right at the very end.

The stars outside of his window were soared through the skies like beams of fire, releasing their intricate beauty to every being below. The earth was still at peace….everything was still locked within a gentle embrace of silence. The world had been reborn…..but nothing felt 'real'. He too still felt as if he were lost within a nightmare….it was pretty hard to believe in anything that was occurring.

It was pretty hard to believe…

That he had two friends, two very good friends.

It was strange….but Axl felt as if he had known X and Zero…..

Before he had even been born.

He felt as if they had always been with him, always been near him…

In spirit.

A tiny smile lit up his face, and he laughed at himself. Not even his voice was real to him-

The entire world was lost within a dream.

Several minutes passed….before the teardrops within his eyes became holy drops of utter radiance. The dewdrops filled themselves with the glory of sunlight…..and became even more beautiful than the most stunning painting. The heavens became a wondrous, soothing mixture of blue and golden yellow…..but the silver stars were still flowing within its embrace. Everything……

Was at peace.

There were clouds in the sky….crystal white clouds that soared through the sky with a phenomenal amount of beauty……with a phenomenal amount of happiness. They seemed to be smiling at him….welcoming him to the new world he had awakened in….and the stars were still looking upon him as well, encouraging him to move forward…..

He closed his eyes and became absorbed in a world of thought once again. The future was cloudy-he didn't know what was going to occur tomorrow, and he couldn't see into the next day. No one knew what was going to happen……..

Except for Sigma.

The words of the evil Maverick struck him violently, causing great thunderbolts of confusion to rise within his heart. The words he had shouted out at him stunned him completely-what was he trying to say?

What was going to happen to him? And what about Zero?

What……..was….going to happen?

He allowed himself to stay within the whirlpool of confusion for several minutes, and then a smile returned to his face….the type of smile X had become so familiar with. He placed a hand over his heart….and opened his eyes…..

"Whatever happens, happens. I'll deal with whatever he wants to throw at me. I've come this far-there's no turning back."

_I'll deal with anything._

_I know I can take on anything._

A moment later, something happened that caused his heart to jump….and his eyes to widen with shock. A silver star shot through the crystal clear skies….but it wasn't like any of the other stars that were soaring through the air. There were ribbons of translucent silver light streaming behind it……and it released beautiful, glimmering mists of starlight upon the winds. The beauty of the sacred treasure struck his heart like a bolt of lightning….but at the same time…it filled his heart with everlasting love and warmth. It caused even more tears to rush into his eyes…….and he almost developed a desire to break down and release a hundred tears…..but he bravely confronted that desire and wiped it out. A weak smile bloomed on his face as he placed both hands over his heart…..and spoke.

"Good night, Red….and thank you."

_I love you, Father.

* * *

_

12:25 am.

Axl, the newest member of the Maverick Hunters, walked out of the Observatory in silence and headed to the dormitory he shared with Zero, the Crimson Flame. There was a smile on his face-it was one of the usual smiles: calm, nonchalant, and beyond adorable. His head was held high, and so was his heart….even his footsteps were filled with bright, bold determination. His eyes were bright, and filled with the glorious exuberance of the sun…..

He wasn't going to look back.

It was time to move on.

The first day of his new life had already begun. He couldn't look back.

All of them had learned something…..they had learned the true meaning of life…the true meaning of friendship….the true meaning of family. Life had to be lived to the fullest-it couldn't be wasted on doubts or fears…..all challenges had to be met head-on. There were millions of things to experience-love, happiness, sadness, pain…..many emotions were horrible, painful ones, but they all were a part of life…..and so they all had to be accepted. All of them had learned so much about true devotion…..they knew that every second spent with loved ones had to be savored, for nothing was held in a firm guarantee…..and nothing could be taken for granted. They all knew that they had to savor even the most simple conversations….for the hands of destiny could wipe out everything they loved. Nothing could be wasted….nothing could be lost….

Everything had to be held within their hearts.

The future….had begun…..

And it was time to meet it.

It was time…..

To fly.

* * *

The planet was at peace…….but in one corner of the earth, the peace wasn't soft and serene. The winds of destiny were tainting it……and it reeked of Fate's troubles. Darkness was covering the entire area……but the silence had enough power to choke even the strongest soldier. The only things that could be seen were small red flames that held the desire to increase their power….and the eyes of a small male Reploid. He had a gentle, dignified appearance…..but his eyes betrayed that appearance instantly. There was a small smile on his face, but that was also deceptive-within his mind was a plot, a plan to break out and achieve something……

"Hmm. It looks like Sigma's gotten himself into a pretty big mess."

The young male Reploid picked up the head of evil Maverick and grimaced, bearing a resemblance to a sophisticated gentleman….

"Well now, it looks like I've got some puzzle solving to do. I can't do a single thing with just his head. I've got to hurry if I want to finish the operation on time."

Everyone was on their way to embracing the future.

The young Reploid named Lumine was also ready to embrace it.

But not in the way everyone else wanted to embrace it.


	51. Final Episode: Appreciation

The finale has finally been posted.

(The world goes into wild applause. Confetti streams into the air in waterfalls…..endless cheers, whistles and shouts pierce the crystal blue skies. Smiles are bountiful, and everything is right with the world.)

Dynamo: We're finally finished! Everything's complete! The world has been saved!

(The characters of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles began to dance with each other. High fives are passed all around, and many even embrace others. The celebration is amazing, and seems to be eternal.)

Dance Dance Revolution announcer: ALL RIGHT! CONGRATULATIONS!

Prince of Persia from Warrior Within: I knew it could be done. Finally, after a thousand years….we're done.

Dante of Devil May Cry 3: Yep. And I'm finally done with killing Red. I'll miss him, though….I've never had so much fun tormenting an enemy. It's all over.

Tidus of Final Fantasy 10: THREE CHEERS, YEAAAAH!

Axl: Wow……I never thought I would ever experience anything like that. That was amazing!

X: I thought it was too. Everyone, thank you for all of your support. All of you really mean so much to us. We hope you'll continue to support us and other characters as well. Thank you for being such wonderful friends.

Douglas: And now, it's time for Miss Rue to make her appearance!

* * *

Before I go, I would like to take this time to thank everyone for being with me. All of you are such good friends-I never would have finished 'Strings of Fate' if none of you had shown up. I'm glad all of you came by…..and took the time to make my tiny story into a masterpiece. I know I started out small-actually, I was microscopic in the beginning-but I came out big, and it was all thanks to everyone of you. I hope I was able to change your lives in some way, or make you see things in a whole new way with my fan fic. I want to be able to change the world with my stories someday-I'll continue to post here at Fanfiction, and I'll continue to write my own stories on PAPER!

The X8 adaptation 'Until the End of Eternity' will begin soon! I just want everyone to have to digest the ending of 'Strings of Fate' before I move on! (laughs) And I'm thinking about making a DDR fan fic…..jeez, I've got so many ideas now, and it's all because I know the true depth of my abilities now. I didn't understand before, but thanks to all of you, I know how well I can write. That just goes to show you, that if you hang in there long enough, you can pull of anything with good friends and family.

All of you are like my family.

I'm still thinking about that Dark Cloud 2 fic, and a Starfox fic, and this fic and that fic and a fic for something else………

Lady Khilai, PRIVATE, Prjct.War, Uzu-Chan, Star Ninja, MyGBAcanTalk, Racegirl, and even Youshou and J…….thank you all, so much! And thank you to everyone else out there! Thank you!

May our stories live on forever,

Rue of the Dewprism, aka Courtney


End file.
